Chapter Text
I could practically feel the nervous energy fizzing in my veins as Slenderman led me down the long, winding hallway of the Slendermansion. The air was thick with the scent of aged wood and something metallic, probably blood, but it was expected. I kept a firm grip on my mask, it was black with a clean white edge, sleek and simple. I had been waiting for some weeks now to become a proxy, killing and giving offerings to Slenderman, and I was thankful he had finally reached me. I had heard and searched all about it, the mansion, the creepypastas, and of course, the other proxies. It felt like a dream finally belonging here.
“Stay close” Slenderman’s voice reverberated through my skull. It wasn’t exactly a voice, it was more like a vibration, echoing inside my head. I guess that’s one perk of working for an entity: he didn’t have to open his mouth to make you listen. Actually, I didn't know if that was a perk or just really terrifying.
I swallowed, nodding mutely. My heart thumped in my chest like a bassline of a song. I tried to play it cool though, my mask hiding any sight of anxiety on my face. My raven hair was carefully teased into my signature peacock scene style, with a pink bow clipped in place, a pop of color that was entirely me.
Slenderman stopped at a massive door, the dark wood carved with swirling patterns that seemed to move if you stared too long. He gave me a look, well, as much as a faceless entity could,, and pushed the door open.
The room was massive, lit by flickering candles in ancient candelabras. And there they were: the pastas, the proxies, the legends that had haunted the earth for years. It felt surreal, actually seeing them.
Jeff the Killer was sprawled across an old black couch, his knife twirling between his fingers as he laughed at something I couldn’t hear. He shot me a glance and winked, his pale face split by a smile that was more mischievous than murderous, at least for now. BEN Drowned was hunched over his console in the corner, his fingers flying across the controller as he cursed under his breath. His green hoodie was half-zipped, revealing a white T-shirt stained with crumbs from whatever he’d been snacking on. His black and red eyes flicked up at me for a split second, a smirk playing at his lips before he turned back to his game.
Ticci Toby was standing by the window, rocking on his heels with his hands shoved deep in the pockets of his hoodie. His messy curly brown hair fell over his eyes, and he looked at me with this boyish curiosity. He opened his mouth to say something, but it came out in a jumble of stutters and tics, so he just gave a little wave instead. Masky was there too, leaning against the wall. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he watched me—like he was trying to figure me out, and maybe already had. The air around him was heavy, but not in a bad way. I smiled at him as I glanced over.
Kate the Chaser sat on the arm of the couch next to Jeff, her black hair on her shoulders and her eyes sharp behind her mask. Hoodie was perched nearby, silent but watchful. And off to the side, I caught sight of Eyeless Jack, his empty sockets from his mask somehow more expressive than half the faces in the room. He gave me the smallest of nods, like he knew how overwhelming this must be.
Slenderman’s voice cut through the air again. “This is Lenora,” he said, his mental voice as smooth and cold as ice water. “She’s a new proxy, and she will be joining you on missions. You are to guide her, train her, and ensure she survives.”
Jeff snorted. “Another noob? Great. Hope you’re better than the last guy, he lasted a whole two weeks before he lost his head. Literally.”
“Shut up, Jeff.” Kate muttered, elbowing him in the ribs, in which he emitted an 'Ow!'
I took a step forward, my fingers tightening on the edge of my mask. “Hey” I said, trying to sound casual even though my heart was pounding. "Hopefully my head stays on my body for at least three weeks then" I smiled at my sad, anxious attempt of a joke.
BEN let out a soft chuckle, pausing his game to glance at me properly. “Cute,” he said, his voice dripping with that sarcastic, too-cool-for-this-world tone. “We’ll see how long that lasts.”
I rolled my eyes, already liking the challenge in his smirk. “Sure,” I said, my voice light and teasing, “I know that Ben DROWNED isn't talking.”
Jeff let out a loud ass laugh, almost falling from where he was sitting. "Oh man, I already like her." BEN seemed unamused, unpausing his game and shifting his attention to it, ignoring Jeff's laughs along with your clapback. Toby’s head snapped up at that, and he actually smiled, giggling from behind his mouthguard. Masky’s gaze didn’t waver, but there was a faint twitch of his shoulders, like he was holding back a giggle.
“Enough,” Slenderman said, his tone final. “You’ll each take turns showing her the ropes. Missions start tomorrow at dawn.”
The room fell into a momentary hush, as Slenderman disappeared into his office upstairs. Then Jeff started cackling again, him working overtime to annoy BEN while he gamed. Toby gave me a shy smile, and Masky just… watched, casually exchanging glances with Hoody. My mask settled over my face like a second skin. My heart was still pounding, but beneath that was a spark of excitement I hadn’t felt in a long time. There was no turning back now.
The room was buzzing with movement. Jeff pushed himself up from the couch, knife twirling in his hand like a fidget toy. He stalked towards me, his grin as sharp as the blade. “So, Lenora,” he said, his tone drawling out my name. “You got a nickname yet? Most of us end up with one. It’s kind of a… tradition.”
I cocked my head, playing it cool. “Guess I’ll have to earn it, huh?”
“Ha!” he barked, blue eyes glinting. “I like that. Better than being called ‘newbie’ all the time. Just don’t die on your first mission. We’re short enough on entertainment around here.”
BEN snickered again from his gaming corner. “She doesn’t look like she’ll last a week, honestly. You ever even seen blood before, princess?” He said as he glanced towards the pink bow clip in your hair.
I pulled off my mask just enough to shoot him a look, my lips curling up in a smirk. “You’d be surprised of what I did to get here. Why is wannabe Link talking again?”
Jeff couldn't help but giggle like a clown at the exchange, as he watched the two with amusement.
BEN’s brows lifted, a little surprised by my bite. “Oh, I like her,” he said, turning fully in his seat and leaning forward, elbows on his knees. “Cute, feisty, and she’s got an attitude. Dangerous combo.” His tone was teasing, like he was almost being sarcastic. But it was hard to tell.
"That was so fucking cringe dude. You need to lay off the tiktoks." Jeff said as he shot BEN a look of disgust. "You have no rizz."
BEN threw his controller at Jeff's head, which earned a loud 'OW!' from him, making the both escalate into a larger argument. Toby stepped closer to where you were standing, his shoulders hunched up like he was trying to make himself smaller. “D-don’t l-l-listen to BEN,” he stuttered, his voice gentle and a little shy. “He’s just-he’s an a-asshole.” His cheeks were pink under his messy hair, and he gave me a tiny, awkward smile behind his mouthguard, that i caught on by the way his cheeks squeezed his eyes. “I’m T-T-Toby, by the way.”
“I know who you are,” I said, my voice warm as I gave him a small wave. “You’re… famous. Kind of. It’s good to meet you, Toby.”
He laughed softly, a nervous hiccup of a sound, and shifted his weight from foot to foot. “Y-yeah… y-you too.”
Masky hadn’t moved from his spot by the wall, his posture as rigid as a statue. But his eyes never left me, and when he finally spoke, it was like his voice cut right through the chatter. “Slender said we’re supposed to train you,” he said. His tone was serious, but not unkind. “You’re gonna be with one of us every day for the first few weeks. Missions, drills, everything.”
“That’s fine by me,” I said, my voice steady even though my stomach was a mess of butterflies and anxiety. “I’m here to pull my weight.”
“Good,” he said, his tone final. Then, almost like an afterthought, he added, “If you have questions, ask. Don’t be shy.”
There was something in the way he said it, it was firm, but almost protective. Kate the Chaser piped up from her perch on the couch’s armrest. “You’ll be fine,” she said, giving me an encouraging nod. “Just remember, everyone here’s a little fucked up. You’ll fit right in.”
Eyeless Jack’s low, smooth voice floated over from where he stood near the doorway. “And don’t let Jeff drag you into his bullshit,” he said, his tone soft but serious. “You’re here to survive. Don’t let the jokes fool you.”
Jeff rolled his eyes dramatically. “Oh, come on, Jack. She’s got to have some fun before she kicks it.”
I shot him a grin, half amused, half daring. “I’m not planning on kicking it anytime soon.”
Jeff’s smile widened like a shark’s. “That’s the spirit.”
Next to Jeff, I noticed a giant dog with a permanent grin, Smile Dog, of course—lying on the floor like he owned the place. His tail thumped against the wood as he watched me with those too-bright eyes. “Hey there, big guy!” I said, walking to where he was sat and reaching down to scratch behind his ears. He let out a low, happy rumble, and Jeff’s grin softened just a little. “Good with dogs,” he said. “You’re already better than most of these idiots.” Nina the Killer popped her head in from the doorway, her hair a mess and her eyes glinting with mischief. “Another girl?” she said with a laugh. “About time. This place is a fucking sausage fest!” Clockwork snorted from the kitchen entrance. “I’ll drink to that,” she called out, raising a beer in mock toast. “Welcome to the nightmare, sweetheart.”
“Thanks,” My mask was on, but I could feel my cheeks flush under it, a rush of warmth at the way they were all—well, talking to me. They were making space for me, and that felt welcoming. I smiled at the sigh of Nina and Clockwork, it was so good to have at least some girls with me.
Masky pushed himself off the wall finally, walking past me as he reached for the staircase. “Come on,” he said over his shoulder. “I’ll show you where you’re sleeping. Get some rest. Training starts early.” I followed Masky out of the room, down the stairs, my heart racing. Whatever tomorrow brought, I was ready, I've been ready all of my life.
We walked in silence down a long hallway, the wooden floors creaking under our boots. The Slender Mansion was bigger than it looked from the outside. My pulse echoed in the hush, my breath loud in my own ears.
Masky stopped in front of a heavy wooden door, resting his hand on the handle. “This is your room,” he said, voice low and calm. “It’s nothing fancy, but it’s yours. Don’t let anyone in unless you want them there.”
I nodded, fingers twitching at my sides. “Got it.”
He pushed the door open and stepped back, letting me see. The room was small, but warm, a faded rug covered the floor, and a mismatched dresser and bed took up most of the space. There was a window, cracked at the edges but letting in slivers of moonlight, silver and soft. A small desk sat against one wall, battered but functional. It wasn’t much, but it was mine.
“I like it,” I said softly, stepping in and running a hand along the rough wood of the dresser. “It’s cozy.”
Masky watched me, his expression unreadable behind his mask. “Good,” he said after a moment. “If you need anything, come find me. Or Toby. He’ll probably hover by anyway.”
I grinned. “Noted.”
He hesitated at the door, his fingers drumming once against the frame. “You did good, back there,” he said, his tone softening just a hair. “Don’t let them get to you. You’re not here to impress them.”
“I know,” I said, meeting his eyes through the mask. “I kind of want to, though.”
A flicker of amusement crossed his eyes, like a crack in the mask. “Just don’t lose yourself trying,” he murmured.
And with that, he stepped back, pulling the door closed behind him. I stood there for a moment, breathing in the dusty, woodsy air, feeling the weight of everything settle in my chest. I took off my mask and set it on the dresser, ruffling my hair with a sigh. My reflection in the cracked mirror was a mess—kohl-smudged eyes, pink cheeks, black hair wild and tangled. I stuck out my tongue at myself and flopped back onto the bed, the mattress creaking under my weight. It was lumpy, but it smelled like old cedar and soap but it was comforting in a weird way.
There was a knock on the door, soft and hesitant. “C-can I come in?” Toby’s voice, quiet and sweet.
“Yeah,” I called back, sitting up. The door creaked open and he stepped inside, rubbing the back of his neck. He looked like he didn’t know what to do with his hands, so he shoved them in his pockets.
“I, uh… j-just wanted to see if you’re okay,” he said, his words tumbling over themselves. “First night can be… a lot.”
I smiled, genuine this time. “I’m okay. Thanks, Toby.”
He grinned back, and for a second the stutter vanished. “G-good. You… y-you seem cool.” His eyes dropped to his shoes. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me too,” I said softly. “I think… I think it’s going to be okay.”
He rocked back on his heels, then reached out and patted my shoulder, light and a little awkward, but sweet. “G’night, L-Lenora,” he said, voice a little shy. “See you t-tomorrow.”
“Night, Toby.” I said, and he slipped back out into the hallway, the door clicking shut behind him.
I lay back on the bed, staring up at the cracked ceiling, and let out a slow breath. Outside, the mansion groaned with the wind, pipes rattling like bones. I closed my eyes, the ghost of Toby’s gentle touch warm on my shoulder. Tomorrow would come, with all its chaos and noise. But tonight, in this dusty little room with the moonlight spilling in, I let myself smile.
I was ready.
The next morning, I woke up with eyeliner still smudged across my eyes and hair in a tragic mess that would’ve made any mid-2000s scene queen scream. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, the events from last night coming back in flashes. Slenderman’s vibrating voice, the chaos of the living room, Jeff’s maniac laugh echoing off the walls, Toby’s gentle awkwardness, Masky’s watchful stillness… and BEN’s smug little smirk that made my skin crawl in the best and worst way.
I’d barely gotten my boots on when a sharp knock rattled my door. Before I could even answer, it creaked open and Nina the Killer burst in like a glitter bomb of uninvited energy.
“Get up, doll,” she chirped, throwing a hoodie at me. “Slender said we have to bond or whatever. So, we’re throwing a party. A lame-ass, forced socialization afternoon.”
I blinked. “...Party?”
“Don’t make that face,” she said, rolling her eyes and adjusting her hair with one hand like she was in a music video. “There’ll be drinks, snacks, drama, probably someone getting stabbed. Fun times.”
She twirled once on her heel and bolted back out before I could ask anything else.
By the time I made it to the living room, the whole gang was already gathered. Jeff was trying to open a bottle of vodka with his teeth (Jane was yelling at him for it), Clockwork was mixing something that looked like punch and acid, and BEN was lounging on the loveseat like it was a throne, hoodie pulled up, eyes lazily scanning everyone like we were a sitcom cast made for his amusement. Toby was sitting on the floor by the fireplace, criss-cross applesauce like a kid in kindergarten, fidgeting with the string of his hoodie and occasionally glancing up at me with this sweet, lopsided smile that made my heart ache in a confusing way.
“Hey,” I greeted, plopping down next to him. Our shoulders brushed. His whole body tensed, but he smiled a little wider.
“H-hey,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Y-You, uh, sleep o-okay?”
“Like a corpse.” I said, grinning. He let out a soft laugh.
It was Nina, of course, who clapped her hands and declared the beginning of our psychological doom. “Alright, attention freaks! Time to play a game. And not the stabby kind.”
Jeff groaned dramatically. “If this is spin the bottle again, I’m drinking bleach.”
“No, dumbass,” Nina smirked. “We’re playing Seven Minutes in Heaven.”
A hush fell over the room. BEN raised an eyebrow. Kate muttered, “Oh my god,” under her breath. Masky didn’t say anything, but his head tilted like he was suddenly interested.
“Oh come on,” Nina rolled her eyes. “It’s classic. Old-school teen movie vibes. You get in the closet, you sit with whoever gets picked with you, and you...you know. Talk. Or don’t. Whatever. It’s seven minutes, not a contract.”
Everyone stayed in silence, staring at eachother. Then Jeff snorted, “Let’s get it over with,” and pulled a beat-up paper bag from behind the couch, already filled with scraps of names.
Kate pulled Jeff’s name first. He ended up in the closet with Nina.
“Oh fuck no—” he protested.
“Oh yes!" she grinned, grabbing his arm.
We all heard a thud and a scream. Then seven long minutes of very suspicious silence, followed by the door opening with Jeff dramatically throwing himself onto the floor like he’d been through a war.
“Never again....” he wheezed. “Never.”
Eventually, it was my turn. I reached into the bag, my stomach curling with anxiety and low-key dread, and pulled a name.
BEN.
My eyes flicked up, locking with his. He was already staring at me for some reason, head tilted just slightly, something unreadable flickering across his face.
“Oh.” I said, dumbly. "Great."
He stood, slow and almost smug, like this was a challenge he’d been waiting for. “Come on, princess,” he said, not smirking for once. “Let’s get this over with.”
Toby watched us walk into the closer with something that looked like a glimpse of envyness in his eyes. He didn't say anything, but he just stared, curling his fists maybe a little too tight. Clockwork noticed this, elbowing him and asking him if he was okay, where he just nodded in response.
The door creaked closed behind us, muffling the teasing laughter from outside. The closet was cramped, musty, and warm, warm in that way that made you hyper-aware of how close someone was standing to you. I leaned back against the wall, arms crossed, trying to keep the weird flutter in my stomach from showing on my face. I wasn't particurlarly an outgoing person, and standing alone in a closet with someone I barely knew certainly made me anxious.
The closet was small. We were practically standing on each other, the dim lightbulb above us flickering like it had social anxiety.
“Comfortable?” BEN said, tone dry.
“Ecstatic.” I deadpanned.
He let out a low chuckle. “Didn’t think you’d actually go through with it.”
“What, and let you think I’m a coward?” I leaned back against the wall, my hair brushing his shoulder. “Please.”
He looked at me, smirking faintly. “You’ve got teeth.”
“And I bite.” I said, smiling up at him. “Hard.” I said, mockingly.
BEN shifted closer, so close I could feel the heat off him. His hand braced against the wall beside my head.
“And yet..” he murmured, eyes trailing across my face, as if he was studying my features with his glowing red eyelights. “You’re the one pinned to the wall right now.”
My breath caught.
Because he was right.
His other hand landed beside my head, and suddenly, we weren’t just playing a dumb party game anymore. His eyes, red and kinda pixelated at the edges, searched mine like he was examining something. I could feel the thud of my heart echoing in my chest, my limbs buzzing.
I should have said something snarky. Something to piss him off, away from me. But my brain short-circuited. He was too close- probably too close for comfort for me to say something.
He looked like wanted to pick me apart and understand what made me tick. His red eyelights stared intensily at me, glowing even more in the dark. I could see how actually terrifying he was; that damn smirk, paired with his bloody tears and red eyes. Nightmare fuel.
"Are you scared?"
Then, before I could say anything else, the door burst open with a loud clang.
Everyone turned to look, and there we were; BEN with his arm braced above me, his body angled over mine, and me flushed and wide-eyed like I’d been caught doing something I wasn’t supposed to.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Jeff was the first to snort. “Holy shit.” He giggled. "What the fuck."
Toby’s expression crumpled a little, like a flicker of disappointment danced across his face before he could hide it. He looked away, his jaw clenched, shoulders stiff. "G-G-Glad you s-survived."
Masky didn’t say anything, but his eyes flicked between BEN and me with a tightness around the edges. Like he saw something there he didn’t like.
BEN stepped back, casual, cool as ever, but I could feel the tension radiating off him.
“Time’s up.” he muttered, brushing past everyone and disappearing down the hallway, not looking back. He didn't even look back to throw an insult at Jeff.
I cleared my throat, cheeks burning, and tried to slip out with what little dignity I had left. But Nina was already grinning like she’d won the lottery.
“Looks like someone enjoyed their seven minutes,” she teased. Jane elbowed her, at which she said 'What?' in response. Clockwork followed me to where I was going.
I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t stop the smile tugging at my lips as I walked past them. Behind me, Toby avoided my gaze, retreating back with his hands shoved deep in his pockets. Masky was the last one I passed. His voice was low and barely audible as he leaned in slightly.
“Be careful with him.” he said, and for once, it sounded like he was concerned.
I didn’t say anything. I just nodded.
My heart was a mess. One thing was for sure: I'm never getting that close to anyone again, for my own health. I followed to the kitchen, to see if a glass of water would calm me down.
The kitchen was dim and still, save for the soft hum of the refrigerator and the muted clink of a glass filling with water. I stood at the sink, with my back to the door, one hand bracing the counter while the other brought the cold glass to my lips. The first sip felt like relief.
“Mind if I come in?” Clockwork asked, voice low but steady.
I turned slightly, nodding. “Yeah, sure. I was just thirsty."
Clockwork stepped inside, her gaze flicking briefly around the room before settling on me. She leaned lightly against the wall near the doorway, arms loose at her sides.
“That thing with BEN” she said after a moment, “he was testing you.”
I exhaled, setting the glass down on the counter. “Yeah. Felt like it.”
“He's a jerk.” Clockwork added, her tone carefully neutral, but not cold. “He likes to push people, see where they crack. Just ignore him, he probably never got too close to a woman like that anyway.”
“Well,” I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck, “I didn’t crack. But I definitely need a moment to reassemble myself.”
Clockwork’s lips tugged into a small smile. “That’s fair.”
“You doing okay, though? Really?”
I hesitated... “I think so. It just got in my head, you know? The way he talks like he already knows what you’re afraid of and wants to unwrap it in front of you...”
Clockwork nodded slowly. “He’s good at that. That's BEN." She snorted.
“Still got under my skin” I admitted. “Even if I hate that it did.”
Clockwork tilted her head slightly, watching me. “Just get under his next time.”
I gave a small, grateful nod, then took another sip of water. Clockwork glanced towards the hall, her expression shifting. “By the way… Toby seemed a little off when you came back in.”
I frowned, turning to face her more fully. “Off how?” That wasn't like him, for the little I knew.
“He just got quiet,” Clockwork said. “Didn’t say anything. Didn’t even look at anyone, really. I’ve seen him get like that when something’s bothering him.”
I furrowed my brows, concern pushing away the lingering static of my encounter with BEN. “That’s not like him, I mean, from what I've seen so far.”
“No, it’s not,” Clockwork agreed. “He didn’t seem upset exactly, just… like he shut down a bit.”
“You think it had something to do with what happened out there?” I asked, worriedly. "Maybe he got too tired of the noise?"
Clockwork shrugged gently. “Could be.”
“I should go check on him,”I said quietly. “Make sure he’s alright.”
Clockwork nodded, almost approving. “He usually slips out back when he needs to get his head on straight. There’s a tree line he likes-you'll find it.”
“Thanks for checking up on me.” I said with a smile as I walked towards the doorway.
Clockwork met her gaze with a small but sincere look. “Of course, I know how BEN can be.” She snorted.
The porch creaked beneath my feet as I stepped out into the afternoon air. The noise and chaos of the house muffled behind me. I spotted Toby at the spot that Clockwork had mentioned, half-turned away, sitting on a splintered old log with his hoodie drawn up, his hands working a flickering lighter. Click—snap. Click—snap.
I hesitated for a second, then walked over.
“Hey,” I said gently. “You mind if I sit?”
He didn’t look up right away. His head gave a small twitch to the side, then a nod followed, quick and a little tight. “Y-Yeah. Go ahead.”
I sat beside him, the log a little damp beneath me. We were close, but not touching. I could hear him breathing, and the lighter kept flicking open and shut in his hand. I let the silence stretch, waiting.
“You alright?” I asked eventually. “Clockwork said you seemed off.”
He made a noise, something between a grunt and a laugh, then scratched the back of his neck. “I—I’m f-fine. Just… just didn’t like how that b-bastard was lookin’ at you.”
My brows lifted a little. “BEN?”
He nodded, a quick tic following right after. “Y-Yeah. After that closet thing. H-He—uh—looked at you like he was... like you were somethin’ he already owned.”
That sat wrong with me. My skin prickled, remembering how he’d smirked at me and pinned me against the wall.
“I thought I was imagining that” I snorted.
“N-No. You weren’t,” Toby said, voice sharper now. “He d-does that. C-creeps around people, l-laughs like it’s all a game. But it’s not. It’s not f-funny.”
His hands were shaking a little more now, his fingers twitching as they gripped the lighter. He looked down and away, like it was taking effort to say this.
“I j-just—didn’t like how he was talkin’ to you. Or about you. Like you’re j-just some... thing to play with.”
I turned to look at him, caught off guard by how serious he was. For someone I barely knew, he was protective. It pulled at something in me, something warm.
“Why does it bother you so much?” I asked, careful with the question. "I promise I can take care of myself." I smiled.
He flinched, like maybe he wasn’t expecting me to ask. His mouth opened, then closed again. He blinked, tensed, his shoulder jumped, his hand twitched once, twice.
“I d-dunno,” he muttered finally. “It just does. You’re... you’re not like the rest of ‘em. Y-You’re not m-mean... I-I notice shit like that. Besides, y-you're a proxy, like me. O-Of course I w-will c-care.”
I studied his face. Even in the dark, I could tell he wasn’t lying. His voice was rough, uneven, but very much real. His leg bounced faster, his shoulders pulled in like he was bracing for something.
“You barely know me,” I said, a small smile tugging at my lips.
“I-I know enough.” he said quickly, then immediately looked away, embarrassed. “S-Sorry. That was... I didn’t mean—”
“No, it’s okay.” I said softly, surprised by how much it meant to hear.
There was a beat of silence. I glanced away, then back at him, and this time he met my eyes for a second longer before looking down again. His cheeks were faintly pink under the moonlight.
“You’re kinda sweet.” I said before I could stop myself, followed by a gentle giggle.
He blinked. “Wh-What?” I could tell his cheeks flushed as I said that, which honestly made him even sweeter.
“I mean it!” I laughed quietly, feeling my own face warm.
His mouth twitched, and for a moment I thought he might actually smile. He didn’t, quite, but he looked at me again, and something in his expression softened.
“I-I... thanks,” he murmured, almost too low to hear.
We sat like that a while longer, not talking. The night buzzed softly around us, crickets in the brush, the occasional hoot from somewhere deep in the trees. His knee kept bouncing. His shoulder jerked once, hard. He didn’t move away, and neither did I.
Something had shifted. It wasn’t just him feeling it anymore. I was starting to feel it too.
Perhaps things were beggining to get confusing.
Chapter Text
Toby and I made our way back toward the house, the porch light casting long shadows ahead of us. The night had cooled, but something about the air felt easier now. He was walking beside me, hands shoved into his hoodie, shoulders less tense than before.
“Y-You ever have s’mores?” he asked suddenly.
I blinked at him, laughing. “Like… the marshmallow kind?”
“Y-Yeah.” He gave a jerky shrug. “Could make some sometime. We—uh—we used to do that sometimes.”
“That actually sounds kinda nice,” I said. “We should.”
He gave a quick, lopsided grin and ducked his head, muttering something I didn’t catch.
As we stepped back into the house, the familiar chaotic energy hit me all at once; laughter from the living room, someone yelling something obscene, the low hum of electronics. The scent of junk food and sweat lingered in the air like a permanent part of the place.
BEN was sprawled in his usual corner of the room, half-slouched with his legs up on the arm of a ripped recliner. His glowing phone screen lit up his face, eyes flicking lazily over the game he was playing. Still, I saw it — the way his gaze shifted the second Toby and I stepped in together. His eyes followed us. And lingered on me.
Toby tensed beside me.
BEN smirked.
Masky was nearby, surprisingly. He was seated a little too close to BEN and Jeff on the couch. His mask was off, resting against his leg, and he was sipping something from a cracked black mug. The moment he saw us come in, his eyes narrowed just slightly. Masky's maskless face was a surprise, and I felt myself linger my glance on him for a bit too long.
He stood and walked toward me before I could sit down and glance away.
“Lenora,” he said, his tone flat, but not unfriendly. “Got a second?”
I nodded, glancing toward Toby, who looked back at BEN with visible suspicion. I didn’t like the tightness around his jaw.
“What’s up?” I asked, stepping a little to the side with Masky.
“Slenderman’s scheduled your first round of training,” he said. “With me. Starts tomorrow morning — early. Before the others are up.”
I blinked. “Training?”
“You're a proxy. Have you forgotten already? You’re not just here to take up space.”
“Oh, yeah, right." I muttered, a little thrown. "Well, thanks."
He shrugged. “Just passing along the message. Meet me outside by the clearing at six. Don’t be late.”
I nodded slowly. “Got it.”
Masky’s eyes flicked toward BEN briefly, then back to me. His voice dropped just slightly.
“You should be careful,” he said. “Not everyone here knows what to do with someone new.”
I frowned. “You mean BEN?”
Masky didn’t answer. He just gave a small nod, turned, and walked off, his boots thudding quietly against the floor.
Toby was waiting where I left him. His eyes hadn’t left BEN.
“You okay?” I asked.
He nodded, but he didn’t look away from the gamer on the couch. “Yeah. J-Just… stay close, to m-me, yeah?”
I smiled at him — small, but sincere. “Don't worry Toby."
We were only back inside when with Toby felt it. Conversations hadn’t stopped entirely, but voices were quieter, glances sharper. And right at the center of it all, BEN was watching. His eyes? Locked on Toby.
“Okay,” BEN said, way too loud to be casual, “is someone gonna tell me what the hell is up with the way he’s been looking at me?”
The room quieted, everyone looking at eachother in confusion. Toby’s hand jerked and twitched, and he only thickned his gaze on BEN.
Jeff immediately perked up from where he was lounging on the floor with a bag of chips. “Alright let's take bets. I bet on Toby.” Jane and Kate nudged him in the head, which made him quietly complain about it.
BEN’s eyes didn’t leave Toby's. “I’m serious. You’ve been glaring at me ever since that stupid closet game.”
Toby’s jaw clenched. He didn’t respond, just stood a little straighter. His shoulder gave a quick jerk — the tic that always came when he was trying not to snap. I could see his hands twitching slightly at his sides.
BEN kept going. “What? You think I did something to her in there?” He motioned loosely toward me. “I didn’t even touch her.”
“Y-You didn’t have to,” Toby said, low and rough. His words came slow, dragged out through grit teeth and a stutter trying to keep up. “It’s the w-way you... l-looked at her. L-Like she was s-something to mess with. A g-game for y-you to ruin or s-something.”
“Oh, come on,” BEN scoffed, sitting forward. His tone turned mocking. “You jealous or something? Scared I got to her before you did?”
“Alright,” Jane cut in, deadpan, from across the room. “This is getting stupid fast.”
Clockwork crossed her arms beside her. “Nah, let them air it out. It’s been brewing since the game.”
Nina, sitting on the arm of the couch near Jeff, giggled behind her hand. “I dunno, I thought it was hot. I wish SOMEONE did that to me.”
"Do you guys hear anything?" Jeff looked around pretending to be confused.
I felt my face heat up instantly. My cheeks burned, but I said nothing. I couldn’t. The more I thought about the scene, the more I wanted the ground to swallow me.
Jeff grinned at me. “Bet you didn’t hate it, huh?” Kate smacked him, this time harder.
I glared at him, but the blush gave me away.
BEN noticed. His mouth twitched, smug and petty all at once. “See? Not my fault I’ve got better game than you, Ticci Toby.”
Toby’s head snapped up.
“D-Don’t call me that.”
BEN smirked. “Ooooh? Touched a nerve?”
“I’m not jealous” Toby ground out. “I d-don’t like the way you treat her like a damn t-toy. Sh-She’s new here. You c-can’t just push people around because you're used to getting whatever reaction you want.”
“You think I pushed her?” BEN laughed — cold and amused. “You’re so far up your own ass, it’s pathetic.”
Jeff yelled, “GET HIM TOBY!!! GET HIS ASS!!!” but Jane and Kate were quick to tackle him in the ground so he could shut the fuck up.
“Alright!” Clockwork said, raising an eyebrow. “Are they gonna throw hands? Should I record this?”
“I’ll get popcorn!” Nina added, way too enthusiastically.
Toby took a step forward. I instinctively reached out, just brushing his arm. He didn’t pull away, but his body was tense under my fingers. I felt his anger, he was twitching, more than he usually did, his body was jerking and his cheeks were flushed red.
BEN stood up slowly, a little too relaxed, like he wanted to make a show of it. “You wanna go? Over what a look? A game?”
“Y-You were in her space. Y-You didn’t ask. Y-You don’t even c-care how she felt.”
BEN looked at me now, smugly. “She didn’t exactly push me away either, y'know.”
That made Toby snap. He moved towards BEN, fists clenched, shoulder jerking hard with the force of it.
“That’s enough.”
Masky’s voice rang out like a gunshot. Dead serious.
He crossed the room fast, slipping between them before anything could get physical. Eyeless Jack was following right behind him, quieter but firm, his hand landing on Toby’s shoulder. “Stop it Toby.” he said, low. “This isn’t helping anything.”
Toby was breathing hard now, chest rising and falling like he’d just run a mile. His jaw worked as he looked at BEN, like he couldn’t decide whether to spit or swing.
BEN scoffed, stepping back with exaggerated grace. “God. You’re all so dramatic. Nothing even happened.”
"That’s enough." Masky said, voice low and dangerous. “Both of you. Back off.”
BEN threw up his hands in mock surrender. “Of course. Here comes the patrol. Gotta keep everyone in line.”
“You’re provoking him,” Masky replied. “And you know it.”
“HE was the one glaring at me.” BEN shot back. “God forbid I talk to someone without a chaperone.”
“Maybe try not talking like a jackass.” Jane muttered under her breath.
BEN laughed, one sharp and bitter note. “This is insane. I didn’t even do anything! I looked at her. I leaned in. Big deal...”
His eyes slid to mine again, and there was something in his expression I couldn’t name.. Almost like he was daring me to say something. To admit something.
I didn’t.
Because I couldn’t.
I was still trying to make sense of it — how something so simple had made my pulse race, how I’d replayed the moment a dozen times already. How I’d half-wanted to see what would’ve happened if the closet had been a minute longer. Still, Toby was half-right, it did creep me out, for a while.
Toby’s breathing was rough now, his tics more frequent, his fists trembling with the effort not to lose control.
Jack gave his shoulder a slight squeeze, grounding him.
Masky stepped in front of BEN, firm and still. “You’re done. Sit down. Or I’ll make you.”
BEN’s jaw clenched. For a second, I thought he might push it further. But then he scoffed, shoved his hands in his hoodie, and flopped back down on the couch.
“Whatever” he muttered. “Doesn't matter.”
The room didn’t return to normal, not really. The tension lingered in the corners, in the air between me and the boys who had nearly come to blows.
Toby tried to push forward again, but Jack held firm.
“Don’t,” he muttered. “Not worth it.”
And still, I said nothing. Not because I didn’t have anything to say — but because I didn’t know how to say it. Because even now, with everyone watching, with Toby’s anger radiating and BEN’s pettiness bubbling over...
…I could still feel the echo of that moment. The tension. The heat of BEN’s breath near my cheek. The way it had made me freeze, but not entirely from fear or because I was creeped out. I didn’t know what scared me more. That it had happened, or that part of me hadn’t wanted it to stop.
It was my first day and I was already bringing trouble to everyone. Great.
The party didn’t so much end as it slowly deflated.
At some point, the shouting matches turned into scattered murmurs. Laughter thinned out. One by one, they peeled off — Clockwork yawning, Jane dragging Nina off to bed like an annoyed older sister, and Jeff disappearing upstairs, muttering something about being bored out of his mind.
I stood from the couch, muscles sore from how long I’d been sitting still, nerves still wound tight from earlier. My thoughts kept circling the confrontation, the way BEN looked at me, like he was still waiting for something. The way Toby kept his eyes on him like a fuse just shy of a spark.
I wasn’t even sure who I was more unsettled by… or maybe, if I was being honest, who left my stomach in more knots. The hall was dim and quiet. Most of the house had gone still, but I wasn’t alone.
As I walked past the hallway to my room, BEN was there, standing by the entrance of his own room with his phone dim in his hand. He didn’t say anything. Just looked up — straight at me.
The moment our eyes met, I stopped breathing.
His gaze lingered on me, like when he’d been too close in that dark space, his smirk pressed against my cheek, voice teasing. It had left me flushed and breathless — I couldn’t deny that. This look, though, felt meaner. Like he was hurt by something I didn't know I did. Maybe he was expecting for me to defend him during the confrontation with Toby?
But they were both wrong. And I was too overwhelmed to say something at the time.
I didn’t say anything. Neither did he.
But as I passed him, I could feel his eyes trail after me.
I turned the corner, heart still pounding in my ears, and reached my door. I exhaled, thinking of the relief I'd feel once I'd lay on that bed, but as I was reaching for the handle it was when something happened.
Thud.
A hand slammed against the wall beside my head.
I froze, breath caught.
“W-What… y-you just gonna go t-to sleep like n-nothing happened?”
It was Toby.
He’d cornered me — one arm braced above my head, just like BEN had done in the closet. The light from the hallway framed his face in shadow, but I could see his expression. Like something had been bubbling up in him all night since that fight.
My chest tightened. “Toby…?” I felt my cheeks flush.
His mouth twitched. A tic jerked through his shoulder.
“I-I can d-do it too, y-you know,” he mumbled, almost under his breath. “I c-can be b-bold. Or, or w-whatever the hell y-you th-think he is.”
His voice wasn’t raised, but it crackled with something sharp. And it wasn’t just about BEN. It was like he was struggling to say something more but didn’t know how.
I looked up at him, eyes wide, unsure what to say. His body was close. Not quite touching mine, but close enough that I could feel the tension radiating off him in waves.
“I-It pissed me off,” he muttered, barely audible. “S-Seeing him do th-that. L-Looking at y-you like y-you’re a… a g-game.”
His hand curled into a fist against the wall, knuckles white.
“Toby…” I started, but I didn’t know what to follow it with. My heart was a mess in my chest, from the way his voice shook, but his body didn’t back away. From the way he looked at me. Toby, which I had thought was so sweet and somehow, innocent, wasn't so much anymore. At least not now.
And worse, I didn’t hate the way he was close.
He looked down at me — twitching, breathing heavily through his mouthguard — and for a second, I swore he might take it off.
But he didn’t.
Instead, his gaze dropped, and his hand slipped away from the wall.
“I-I’m s-sorry,” he said, stumbling back. “I d-didn’t mean t-to— I-I’ll go.”
And just like that, he turned down the hallway and disappeared into the dark. Leaving me there wondering what the hell had just happened, and why I hadn’t stopped him. Just like I didn't stop BEN. Why my heart beat so fast and why my face felt so hot. I didn’t know which part of me was more scared. The part that liked the attention...Or the part that wanted more.
The door clicked shut behind me with a soft finality that somehow made everything feel louder.
I leaned against it for a second, letting out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding. The quiet hum of my room was a weird contrast to the way my chest still ached.
The first day.
One freaking day.
And I’d already been pinned to a wall TWICE — once by BEN, once by Toby — and somehow both times had left my head spinning.
I pushed off the door and crossed the room in a few tired steps, pulling out clean clothes and tossing them onto the foot of the bed before dragging myself toward the small bathroom tucked in the corner.
The water was hot — almost too hot — but I didn’t bother adjusting it. I just stood there for a while, eyes closed, letting the steam fog up the mirror and blur the sharp edges of my thoughts. The water soaked through my hair and trailed down my back like melted tension, but it didn’t reach deep enough to drown out everything I was feeling.
BEN.
God. The way he’d looked at me in that closet. Like I was a puzzle he already knew how to solve, but wanted to drag out for fun. That cocky grin. The way his breath ghosted across my skin.
I’d been flustered. Sure.
But I hadn’t hated it.
And that made me feel… complicated.
And then there was Toby.
Toby, who looked at me like I was something fragile. His voice stuck in his throat, his fingers tapping like they were trying to keep up with thoughts he couldn’t say out loud.
The way he’d pinned me against the wall, trying to prove something to me-to himself.
“I can do it too,” he’d said.
And something in me had wanted him to.
I ran my fingers through my wet hair, pressing my forehead against the cool tile as the water kept rushing down. I didn’t know what I was doing. I didn’t even know these people. One day in and I was already tangled in something I hadn’t asked for.
What the hell was I getting myself into?
Eventually I shut the water off and stepped out, wrapping myself in a towel and drying off in the dim light. I pulled on a loose shirt and shorts, the kind of outfit that felt like a security blanket, and crawled into bed without even bothering to turn the lights out. Just lay there, staring at the ceiling, listening to the soft tick of the old wall clock and the occasional creak of the house settling.
I should’ve been exhausted.
But my brain wouldn’t shut up.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw BEN’s smirk. Toby’s hand beside my head. That look in his eyes when he said he didn’t like the way BEN talked to me.
It was too much. Too fast.
And I hated that I didn’t hate it.
I curled onto my side, pulling the blanket tighter around me, wishing I could just hit pause. That I could rewind the day and do it all differently. Maybe act more distant. More guarded.
But I hadn’t.
Because some part of me had liked being noticed.
And I wasn’t ready for any of it.
Eventually, I stood up and turned the lights off. No way I was going to sleep with them on.
A sharp knock at the door dragged me violently out of sleep.
I blinked hard at the ceiling, bleary and disoriented, unsure of whether I’d dreamed the sound or not.
Then it came again. Three knocks, evenly spaced, no hesitation.
I groaned softly, my limbs heavy and unwilling. The room was still dark, save for a dull grey haze creeping in through the slats of the blinds. I rolled over to check my phone, squinting against the screen.
6:02 AM.
You’ve got to be kidding me.
Another knock. This time followed by a voice — low, firm, muffled by the door.
“Lenora. Up. Now.”
Masky.
I dragged myself out of bed like I was made of cement, my muscles stiff from the way I’d curled up all night. I hadn’t really slept — not fully. My thoughts had been like static, skipping back and forth between BEN’s smirk and the way Toby’s hands had trembled near my face.
Now I was about to go get my ass handed to me in training, apparently.
Still half asleep, I cracked open the door.
Masky stood there exactly how I expected — posture straight, hoodie up, his mask blank and still. He didn’t even flinch when he saw me.
“You’ve got five minutes,” he said. “Outside. Front clearing. Bring water.”
I stared at him, hair a damp mess around my face, oversized shirt still twisted from sleep. “Good morning to you too,” I muttered, voice hoarse.
Masky tilted his head slightly — not amused, not annoyed. Just watching. “Slender wants you trained. That means I get the honor of dragging your ass out of bed.”
I rubbed at my face with both hands and sighed. “Great.”
Without another word, he turned and walked off down the hall, boots thudding quietly against the floorboards.
I closed the door and leaned against it for a second, exhaling through my nose.
I could already feel the soreness blooming behind my eyes — the kind of dull ache that said I was running on fumes. But there wasn’t much choice. I got the sense that if you ignored a wake-up call from Masky, you might not get another one — at least not politely.
I dressed quickly in what passed for training clothes — black sweatpants, fitted tee, and I secured my mask tightly against my face. I grabbed the water bottle that had been sitting near the bed. My boots thudded softly against the floor as I headed downstairs, the house still mostly silent.
Everyone else was asleep, probably still curled up in their corners of this weird house. Lucky them.
Outside, the sky was a pale steel gray, the sun just barely teasing the horizon with orange smudges. Cold air bit at my arms, and damp grass clung to the soles of my boots as I walked across the clearing.
Masky was already there, stretching his arms out behind his back like he’d been up for hours.
I stopped a few feet away from him, arms crossed over my chest.
“Be gentle,” I said. “It’s my first time.” I snorted at my own joke.
He didn’t answer at first. Just looked at me through that unreadable mask.
Then: “No promises.”
My mask sat snug against my face, the eyeholes limiting my view just enough to make me feel like I was underwater.
He looked me over, head tilting slightly. “You wear the mask now. Good. Get used to it.”
“I wasn’t planning to take it off,” I muttered, trying to sound braver than I felt.
“Good,” he said again, more serious this time. “Because that mask? It’s not just for show. It’s your second skin now. When it’s on, you’re not Lenora anymore. You’re what he made you.”
My stomach tightened. “You mean Slenderman.”
Masky didn’t respond at first. He just stepped closer, quiet but firm.
“Being a proxy isn’t just about killing,” he said. “It’s about serving. Obeying. When he calls, you answer. When he gives an order, you don’t hesitate. You don’t ask why. You do. That’s what you signed up for the second you stepped into this house.”
I shifted my weight, heartbeat picking up. “And if I don’t?”
“Then you disappear,” he said flatly. “And not in the poetic way.”
A silence stretched between us. Cold wind stirred the branches above, scattering a few brittle leaves between our feet.
“Still want to train?” he asked, voice unreadable.
I nodded.
He pointed at the trees behind me. “Run to the edge of the north path and back. Twice. Don’t stop.”
So I did. The cold burned my lungs, my legs ached, and the mask made breathing feel like sucking air through a straw.
When I got back, sweating and gasping, Masky didn’t praise me. He just threw a wooden training blade at my feet.
“Pick it up.”
I bent down and grabbed it with shaky fingers.
“Attack me.”
“What?”
“You heard me.”
I hesitated. “Won’t you—”
Before I could finish, he moved. Too fast.
I barely got the blade up in time to deflect the blow, but he was on me before I could think — grabbing my arm, twisting, flipping me over his shoulder. My back hit the cold ground and the air shot from my lungs.
“Rule one” he said, standing over me. “Don’t ask if you’re allowed to fight back. Just do it.”
I gritted my teeth and scrambled to my feet, heart pounding.
“Again,” he said.
So I tried. Again. And again. Each time, he knocked me down. Corrected my grip. Pushed me harder. Called out every weakness I didn’t know I had.
I hated how sharp his voice was. I hated how calm he stayed. I hated that part of me started to respect it.
Eventually, I managed to get in a clean strike, catching him on the ribs. He grunted and stepped back, holding up a hand.
“Better.”
I wiped sweat from my forehead. “You’re relentless.”
“You’ll thank me when someone comes back at you with a real knife.”
I looked at him and for a moment, the space between us felt heavier. His mask stared back at me, but I could feel his eyes behind it. Watching. Reading me.
Masky moved closer. Close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from him, see the mist of his breath between us.
“You’re not here to make friends” he said quietly, and I picked up he was possibily referring to what had happened with BEN and Toby. “You’re not here to play games. This place, it takes pieces of you. And if you don’t give them willingly, it rips them out anyway.”
Something caught in my throat. “Why are you telling me this?”
He stared at me for a second too long. Then, almost too quietly to hear:
“Because I don’t think you know what you’ve gotten yourself into.”
I didn’t answer, because maybe he was right. But still, was everything I wanted.
I was still breathing hard, heart rattling in my chest like it wanted out. Masky had been pushing me nonstop — strike, counter, fall, get up, do it again — like I wasn’t allowed to feel tired. Like weakness didn’t exist in his vocabulary.
But something shifted in me after his last words. The sharpness of them. The way he stood so close, like he was trying to peel me open with nothing but his silence.
So I didn’t wait.
The moment he backed off and squared up again, I struck.
I wasn’t even sure what I was doing. I ducked under his swing, swept my leg low, caught him off-balance, and threw my weight into him. We crashed to the ground in a blur of limbs and breath, and suddenly, I was the one on top.
He stared up at me, stunned.
My wooden blade was pressed to his chest, my knee pinning down his arm, my other hand gripping his collar, and then his mask slid off.
It clattered against the dirt.
His eyes were wide with surprise, flushed with something that wasn't just exhaustion. Sweat clung to his hairline, strands of black hair matted to his forehead. His chest rose and fell sharply beneath me. I could see his actual face, not the expressionless one painted onto plastic.
He looked… human.
And very, very flustered.
“…Well,” he muttered, eyes flicking up to meet mine. “Guess you’re a fast learner.”
I was frozen.
He shifted slightly beneath me, and I realized I was still gripping his shirt. Too tightly. I let go like it burned.
“S-Sorry—” I started, heat rising in my cheeks as I scrambled off him, backpedaling a few steps.
He sat up slowly, brushing dirt from his jaw, but didn’t reach for the mask right away. He just looked at me like he wasn’t sure what had just happened either.
“I didn’t mean to—” I began again.
“You didn’t do anything wrong.” His voice was lower now. He wiped the side of his face with his sleeve, and that hint of a smile twitched at the corner of his mouth. “You caught me off guard. That’s the whole point.”
I swallowed hard, trying to ignore the way my skin was still buzzing.
“Still,” I said. “Didn’t expect you to, uh… look like that.”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Like what?”
“I—Nothing. Never mind.” I looked away. What was wrong with me?
His lips quirked, like he was holding back a laugh. Then he finally reached for the mask and turned it slowly in his hands.
“You should keep your mask on during training” he said eventually, voice steadying again. “But… you did good.”
There was a pause.
As he stood up, brushing off his jacket, he added, barely loud enough to hear:
“Just don’t make a habit of pinning me like that.”
I blinked, widening my eyes at his sentence. “W-What?”
He didn’t answer, like he never had ever said it. Some type of silent gaslighting or something.
He just slid the mask back on, turned his back to me, and said over his shoulder, “Come on. Training’s not over yet.”
And just like that, the moment was gone. But I could still feel it. And I was pretty sure he could, too.
BEN stood behind the living room's window now, arms crossed over his chest, lit only by the faint glow of the screen of his still-running handheld, forgotten in his hand.
Outside, the training field lay in dull morning light. Mist still clung to the edges of the trees, and the clearing was half-shrouded in fog. But not enough to obscure them.
Lenora and Masky.
BEN’s eyes narrowed.
She was wearing her mask — he could barely make out the edges of it, the way it glinted whenever she moved. He hadn’t gotten a good look at it before, but now, seeing her in motion, focused and deliberate... it fit her. Uncomfortably well.
She moved with surprising ease for someone new, circling Masky like she’d already picked up more than she was supposed to. And Masky — of course he looked composed, all stiff discipline and bossy posture, but BEN didn’t miss the way his movements were just a little slower now. Giving her room. Testing her.
BEN scoffed.
Teacher's pet. Always playing the role Slenderman handed to him like it made him important. Like it made him better.
Lenora lunged, a sharp, clean movement. They struggled for a second before she knocked him flat onto the ground, Masky's mask bouncing off to the side in the grass.
BEN’s eyebrows lifted.
He caught just a glimpse. His flushed skin, wide eyes, hair sticking to his temple. Tim. The real Tim, not the proxy in the porcelain mask. And the look on his face—
BEN’s mouth twitched, but it wasn’t quite a smile.
Jealousy sat in his chest like a rock. He didn’t even realize it, just that burning feeling in his ribs, a slow crawl of irritation that twisted deeper the longer he watched. Masky — Tim — lying there beneath her, breathless and flustered, and Lenora sitting over him, frozen in surprise but not exactly in a hurry to move.
BEN’s hand tightened around the edge of the window frame.
He didn’t care, not really. Not about her. She was new. Clumsy. Still figuring out how the mansion worked, how everyone worked. She was just a curiosity, that was all.
Except…
He remembered the way she’d looked at him in the closet. Her eyes wide and startled, her cheeks rosy with embarassement and shyness. Her breath catching when he leaned in.
She hadn’t pushed him away.
BEN exhaled sharply through his nose and pulled his gaze from the window.
Whatever.
Let Masky play soldier.
Let her play along.
BEN disappeared into the shadows of the hall, the dim flicker of his game screen once again lighting up his face as he vanished around the corner.
The hallway stretched dim and quiet, the only sound the soft whirring hum of the mansion’s ancient wiring and the faint click-click of BEN’s boots against the scuffed hardwood as he stormed down the corridor, trying to ignore the way his blood still felt too hot in his veins.
He should’ve gone back to his room. Locked the door. Deafen himself with his videogames until the image of her sitting on top of Masky burned out of his skull.
But of course — of course — the universe hated him.
“Daaamn, someone's walking like he just got drowned." Jeff said, lazily stepping into his path from the adjoining hallway. His grin stretched wide, eyes gleaming like he’d been waiting for someone to piss off.
BEN didn’t answer. Just tried to sidestep him.
Jeff stepped right back in the way.
“Oh, come on, don’t give me the silent treatment now. What, Slendy cut off your Wi-Fi again?”
BEN rolled his eyes and kept walking. “Move.”
Jeff leaned against the doorframe instead, arms crossed, smug. “Or what? You’ll glitch my phone?"
BEN stopped.
Turned.
And shoved him hard.
Jeff stumbled back a step, caught more off-guard than hurt, blinking at him like BEN had just punched him in the face instead of just his ego.
“Yo.” Jeff barked, tone shifting — not playful now. “The hell was that for?”
BEN’s jaw clenched. “I said move.”
Jeff narrowed his eyes. “Since when do you grow a spine? Did someone piss in your DS or something?”
BEN didn’t answer. He should’ve. He usually had something sharp ready, some mocking retort or snide comment. But this time?
This time he didn’t have the patience.
He brushed past Jeff with a shoulder-check, not even looking back.
Jeff stared after him, brow furrowed. “...What the hell’s his problem?”
BEN didn’t answer.
Didn’t look back.
Didn’t even stop.
Because if he did, he’d start thinking again, about her, about him, about the fact that maybe for the first time since he’d joined this twisted little family, someone was getting under his skin in a way he couldn’t just shrug off or hack around.
And that?
That pissed him off more than anything.
Chapter Text
The living room was a mess of limbs, snacks, and unwashed blankets that had probably never been washed to begin with. Nina was flopped across the floor with her legs resting on the arm of the couch like it was a yoga pose. Clockwork sat nearby, using one of Slenderman’s hardcover books as a coaster. Eyeless Jack, ever the picture of calm chaos, was dissecting a banana with surgical precision for absolutely no reason... He didn't even eat the damn things! Jane looked vaguely annoyed by everything, as usual.
Then Jeff walked in, holding a half-eaten bagel like it was evidence in a murder case.
“Aight.” he said, without preamble. “What the hell is up with BEN?”
Everyone in the room groaned.
Clockwork didn’t look up. “What now?”
Jeff pointed vaguely toward the hallway like BEN was still trailing storm clouds behind him. “He shoved me. Me. Can you imagine?”
“You annoy everyone,” Jane replied flatly, flipping a page in a book she wasn’t reading. "Specially BEN."
“Yeah,” Nina chimed in, “that’s just, like… Tuesday behavior.”
Jeff ignored them. “No, I mean, he was actually mad. Like, ‘they flicked water at me' mad.”
Eyeless Jack set the mangled banana aside and finally looked up. “Maybe he’s just constipated.”
There was a beat of silence.
“…What?” Nina blinked.
“It would explain the twitchiness,” Jack said calmly. “And the mood swings.”
“Thank you Jack, anywaaaay....” Jeff muttered, already moving on. “No, I think it’s more serious. Like, emotionally constipated.”
“Could be about Lenora,” Clockwork said, shrugging. “You already saw how heated things got with Toby.”
“Wait,” Nina said, frowning. “Is BEN… into her?”
Jeff scoffed. “BEN’s into his reflection. Let’s not kid ourselves.”
Clockwork rolled her eyes. "They barely even know eachother guys."
Jane looked up. “Wait, wasn’t she out with Masky this morning?”
Everyone paused.
“Oh no,” Clockwork said slowly. “Do we have a triangle situation brewing?”
“Please no,” Jack groaned. “The last time we had a love triangle, someone lost an arm.”
“It grew back!” Nina offered, cheerful.
“Still.” Clockwork added, “BEN hates Masky. He thinks Masky’s Slender’s favorite.”
“BEN also thinks the FBI is tracking his gaming history,” Jeff said. “The guy literally argued with a toaster last week.”
“It glitched,” Nina said, like that explained anything.
Jeff plopped onto the couch like a tired raccoon. “All I’m saying is: BEN’s being a pissy little gremlin, more than usual, and I’d like to know why before he starts sulking so hard he crashes the Wi-Fi.”
“I give it two days before he just gets over it." Jack muttered.
“Do we care?” Jane asked. "It's just a girl. Y'know how he gets with women. Lack of experience."
They all looked at each other.
There was a collective shrug.
“Anyway,” Nina said, reaching over to steal Clockwork’s coffee, “who wants to play Monopoly and ruin our friendships permanently?”
Jeff grinned. “Only if we do house rules and knives are allowed.”
“Standard protocol” Clockwork replied.
And just like that, they moved on. BEN’s possible emotional meltdown was quickly shelved somewhere between “Jeff’s impulse control” and “Who keeps leaving raw kidneys in the fridge.”
Let the chaos continue.
BEN had locked himself in his room. The screen in front of him flashed with rapid colors, his character jumping, dying, respawning, repeating the same five-second loop with no real purpose. He wasn’t even watching anymore. He was just pressing buttons. Playing to play.
Trying not to think.
The air in the room felt stale, thick with too many hours of stillness. The faint electric whine of an old monitor buzzed in the background like tinnitus, just quiet enough to be ignorable until it wasn’t. It was driving him insane.
Or maybe that noise was himself.
BEN shifted in his seat and dropped the controller into his lap with a dull thud. His hands stayed there, motionless, fingers curled tight.
He blinked at the screen, but all he could see was her.
Lenora.
And that damn moment outside during Masky’s training. The one that was now playing on a constant loop in his head.
Her pinning Masky to the ground. Her fingers pressed into his chest. Her breath catching.
The way he looked at her, his unmasked face all flustered.
The way she didn’t back away right away.
BEN scoffed, dragging his hand down his face. "Seriously? This is so dumb."
They barely even knew each other. One day. One. She wasn’t special. Just new. She was just another dumb proxy. She was probably just trying to survive and not die.
So why did it bother him so much?
He slumped deeper into his chair, staring blankly at the TV as his avatar exploded for the fiftieth time in five minutes. He didn't even blink.
It wasn’t just that she trained with Masky. It was the look on Masky’s face. That stupid, caught-off-guard, red faced look like he didn’t expect her to do that.
BEN had liked the way she looked in the closet. The way he looked at her and leaned in, and he could feel just how flustered she had gotten under his gaze. He liked the control, he always did. That why he was BEN.
It had been a game, sure, but it was fun. He liked making her flustered. He liked the tension. It was the kind of attention he didn't have in a long time. But that was just what it was, a game, and she was just another player in it.
So… why did it feel like someone jammed a controller into his ribs when he saw her looking at Masky that same way?
BEN leaned forward, elbows on knees, fingers laced together so tight they cracked.
“This is so fucking stupid." he muttered.
What was even the point?
She wasn’t his. Hell, he didn't even know her. He didn’t even like people. That was his whole thing. He trolled, he messed around, he annoyed. He didn’t get jealous. He didn’t care.
But something about this was different. Something about her, maybe the way she clapped back at him, or the way she hadn't exactly felt scared of him in the closet, or maybe just really the attention she gave him— was starting to dig under his skin. And not in the fun way.
He hated that.
He hated even noticing.
He sat there in silence for a long time, screen flickering, heart dragging behind. BEN wasn’t sure what was going to happen next.
Or worse — what he wanted to happen next.
He stood up from his chair and looked from the window in his room. They seemed to be gone, which meant they would be inside by now.
He decided he wasn't going to leave his room for now and sat back down.
His peace, however, didnt last long.
Knock knock knock.
BEN scowled. “Go away.”
The door creaked open without permission.
Of course.
Jeff leaned against the frame, chewing on something that suspiciously looked like a piece of string cheese.
“Wow,” he said, eyes scanning the room. “I expected gamer-stink, but this is a whole biohazard zone. You fermenting in here?”
BEN rolled his eyes and kept clicking. “Piss off.”
“Touchy,” Jeff sang, stepping in like he owned the place. “You ghosted Monopoly night. And by ‘ghosted,’ I mean you rage-punted me into a wall for breathing near you.”
“I said piss off,” BEN growled, the game controller creaking in his hands.
Jeff flopped down on the foot of BEN’s bed like it wasn’t covered in tangled cords and discarded hoodies. “So what’s the sitch, emo.exe? This about our resident new girl?”
BEN’s hands paused.
Just for a second.
“Why would it be?”
“Oh, I dunno,” Jeff said, kicking his feet up, “maybe the whole screaming match with Toby yesterday? And now that she's training with Masky today.... I put two and two together.”
BEN didn’t respond. His jaw was locked. The game character died again.
Jeff whistled low. “Man. That bad, huh?”
A long silence stretched out. BEN leaned back in his chair and finally sighed.
“It’s stupid,” he muttered. “I don’t even know her. I don't care what she does or doesn't do. At least not as much as you all think I do.”
Jeff blinked.
Then, smirking: “So you’re saying you caught feelings? Damn, didn’t think those still worked on you.”
“Shut up. I didnt fucking say that.”
“Are you gonna write her sad poetry now?” Jeff pressed. “Ooh, ooh—make a mixtape. Include Evanescence. Chicks love that.”
BEN rolled his eyes.
Jeff’s voice dropped a little.
“Look, man. You like her. Big whoop. It happens.”
BEN exhaled. Shoulders still stiff. Voice low. “I dont like her. I hate not knowing why it bothers me so much. Hate her."
“…Maybe,” Jeff said, with surprising softness, “you don’t hate her. You just hate that someone else got to be close to her first.”
BEN stared at him.
Jeff met his gaze—then immediately ruined it, of course.
“Okay, stop staring at me. Getting too homosexual in here now. I’m leaving.”
He stood, dusted fake lint off his hoodie, and headed to the door.
BEN rolled his eyes, but couldn’t help the small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“…Thanks.” he muttered.
Jeff paused in the doorway, smirk returning. “Yeah, yeah. Don’t get used to it, loverboy.”
And then he was gone.
My arms were slick with sweat, and my black top clung to my back like a second, much less comfortable skin. Dirt streaked the thighs of my leggings. The hem of my shirt was stretched where I’d tugged it during a break. My mask felt humid on the inside from my breathing, and I was suddenly hyperaware of how much I probably smelled like a dump.
Masky walked ahead of me, quiet like always, but his shoulders were a little tense. All I knew was that my heart hadn’t stopped racing since I’d knocked him flat on his back.
Proxy training was more intense than I thought.
From the living room came the sound of cardboard shuffling, plastic pieces clinking against wood, and the occasional muttered threat. Monopoly. They were playing Monopoly at 7:30 in the morning. I should’ve known.
We passed the entry to the living room just as Jeff shouted something about mortgaging the Slender Mansion.
“I’m going to burn your hotels down” Jane muttered.
“You can’t do that!” Nina said.
“Watch me.”
I ducked my head and followed Masky into the kitchen. I went straight to the fridge and yanked it open, grabbing the first water bottle I could reach.
“You did better,” Masky said suddenly, voice low. He leaned against the counter across from me, arms crossed, still catching his breath. His mask was smudged with dirt. “At the end. You were focused.”
“Focused on not eating dirt again...” I said, cracking open the bottle and chugging half of it. “Which I still managed to do like five times.”
“But you kept getting up.”
I lowered the bottle. His faint approval felt weird. Good-weird. My fingers tightened slightly around the plastic.
“Yeah, well. You didn’t exactly go easy on me.”
“I wasn’t supposed to.”
I glanced at him. His posture was still unreadable, but his voice wasn’t as sharp anymore. Suddenly we were both hyperaware of what had happened out there. Of how close we’d been. Of the way he’d looked at me when I had him pinned.
Or maybe that was just my dumbass.
Before I could say anything, footsteps echoed from the hall, and Jeff strolled in annoyingly.
He stopped in the doorway, took one look at us, and raised an eyebrow. “Well. You two look like you just crawled out of the third circle of hell.”
“Training...” I said, way too quickly.
Jeff made a face. “Right. Proxy bootcamp. How fun. Glad I don't have to do that shit. Im... naturally talented.” He winked.
He reached for the cupboard, pulled out a half-eaten granola bar, then leaned against the counter like he was waiting for something.
“You here to say something or...?”
“Nope. Just soaking in the tension.” He took a bite, chewed, then added, “Also, you smell like shit.”
I sighed and looked away. “Thanks, Jeff. Really helpful.”
He was quiet for a moment, surprisingly. Then, unfortunately, he spoke: “Hey, so uh... Masky, you know BEN snapped at me earlier?”
Masky shifted slightly. “Did he?" He was unimpressed.
“Yeah, full-on shoved me in the hallway like I threw his Nintendo 64 out the stairs or something.”
“You probably did...” I muttered.
Jeff ignored me. “Anyway, everyone's saying it’s ‘cause of you two.”
Masky blinked, his tone had a hint of surprise, or annoyance. “What?”
Jeff tilted his head. “I mean, I’m not saying he’s jealous. I’m just saying... he’s definitely acting like someone who saw something he didn’t like. And considering you were both outside this morning, sweaty, suspiciously out of breath...”
Masky pushed off the counter, and sighed. “We were training. She's a new proxy. I'm just doing what I was told."
Jeff held up his hands, still chewing. “Hey, I’m just the messenger. Everyone’s speculating. Thought you should know.”
There was a long pause. Masky didn’t say anything more, I didn’t either.
“Cool.” Jeff said, tossing the empty wrapper in the trash. “Anyway, I’m going back to the living room before someone flips the board before I do.”
He turned to leave but paused at the doorway and looked back at us.
“Don’t let BEN catch you being all intense again,” he added. “He might actually explode like he did with Toby."
Masky scoffed.
Then he disappeared down the hallway like a cryptid vanishing into the woods.
I leaned against the fridge, heart doing weird little flips again. “You think that’s true?”
He stood near the sink, quiet and still, arms crossed again like he was thinking through too many things at once.
“You didn’t answer" I said, finally.
He looked over, the eyeholes of his mask unreadable. “Didn’t think it needed one.”
“About BEN. Is it true?”
Masky’s silence stretched, then finally broke as he stepped closer, just enough that I could see the faint scratch along the edge of his jaw, where I’d landed a hit earlier.
“BEN doesn’t like people getting attention unless he’s the one controlling it.”
I blinked. “You mean… its like a control thing for him?”
Masky nodded once. “He gets under people’s skin, stirs the pot, disappears when things get real. It’s always a game to him. But when he’s not the center of it — that’s when he gets like this.”
“Jealous?”
“Perhaps." he shrugged. “Maybe even possessive. But it's more about the attention than anything.”
I let that sink in.
“He’s been acting weird since yesterday,” I muttered, more to myself than to him. “That whole thing with Toby... Like something in him just snapped.”
Masky’s tone cooled even more. “BEN's a jerk. Ignoring him is your best bet.”
Coming from Masky, it somehow felt less like an insult and more like a diagnosis.
“You don’t like him.”
“I don’t trust him.”
Masky stepped back again, reaching for his own water bottle from the counter. “Watch your back with him.” he added, quieter this time. “He doesn’t pick fights he doesn’t think he can win.”
I nodded, unsure of what to say. The words lodged somewhere between my ribs.
“Anyway,” Masky said, voice a bit flatter now. “Training picks back up tomorrow. Try to rest.”
And just like that, he left the kitchen.
I stayed behind, shrugging on my own thoughts. Eventually I went back to my room, to freshen up and change this stinky clothes.
The scent of earth and metal clung to Masky as he strode down the corridor, gloves loose in one hand. His mind was still half in the forest where Lenora had finally managed to pin him.
He was headed straight to his room. Shower. Change. Try to forget the way she looked on top of him, or how her hair had stuck to her mask. Serious thoughts only. This was just proxy training.
“Yo.”
He nearly collided with Toby rounding the corner.
Toby recoiled instinctively, arms half-raising like he’d just been caught sneaking cookies out of the kitchen. “S-Sorry! I d-didn’t see you t-there—”
“Relax.” Masky gave him a sideways glance, adjusting his mask with a quiet exhale.
Toby gave a lopsided grin, breathless and twitchy.
Masky didn't smile back, but his tone eased just slightly. “It's early for you to be up.”
“C-Couldn’t sleep,” Toby muttered, rubbing at the back of his neck. “Heard y-you were out with the new girl.”
“Lenora." Masky said, pausing.
Toby’s fingers twitched at her name.
“She’s doing better than I expected,” Masky went on, almost to himself.
Toby raised an eyebrow. “I b-bet.”
Masky leaned a shoulder against the wall, folding his arms. He looked Toby over for a moment, like he was calculating something. Then, with a casual tone that somehow still managed to carry weight, he said, “You’re running her session tomorrow.”
Toby blinked. “W-What?”
“Slender wants her trained by more than just me,” Masky replied. “Different styles. Different strengths. You’re decent with your hatchets, and... you could use the responsibility.”
Toby stared at him, mouth slightly open, one hand twitching near his pocket. “M-Me. Alone. With her?”
“That’s how training works, genius." Masky deadpanned, rolling his eyes behind his mask.
Toby was still processing. It took longer than it should’ve.
Masky tilted his head slightly. “Unless you’re not up for it.”
“N-No! I mean—yeah, I’m up for it,” Toby said quickly, his words rushing together. “I’ll t-teach her. Yeah. T-Totally. N-Not a problem.”
Masky raised an eyebrow beneath the mask but didn’t say anything.
There was a beat of silence. Then Toby added, too quickly, “S-So, uh… how’d it go, this morning?”
Masky paused.
“She managed to throw me to the ground.”
Toby blinked. “W-Wait, w-what?”
“She’s stronger than she looks,” Masky said, and there was a faint, unreadable edge to his voice. “Got under my guard. Pinned me.”
The mental image hit Toby like a sucker punch. His hand twitched.
Masky noticed, of course he did.
“You okay?” he asked, tone a little too neutral.
Toby coughed and looked away. “Y-Yeah. F-Fine. J-J-Just... y’know. S-Surprised.”
“She’s a fast learner.”
“I—I bet she is.” Toby gritted his teeth.
Another pause. A little heavier, now.
Toby's thoughts were moving a mile a minute, back to the night before, when he’d pinned Lenora outside her room in a fit of jealousy over BEN, close enough to feel her heartbeat against his chest. That same flushed, wide-eyed look she’d had...
And now Masky had seen that, too? Had he been that close?
Masky straightened up from the wall, tugging his hood forward.
“Just don’t go easy on her,” he said, his voice cooler now. “She doesn’t need coddling.”
Toby nodded, throat tight. “Y-Yeah. Of c-c-course.”
“And keep it professional.” Masky’s tone dropped just enough to carry weight. “She’s here to serve Slender. That comes first.” The way he said it felt like he knew something before Toby knew it himself.
Toby bristled but bit his tongue. “O-Obviously.”
Without another word, Masky turned and headed toward the hallway, already unzipping his hoodie as he disappeared around the corner toward his room.
Toby stayed standing in place, the air thick with all the things he hadn’t said. His heart thudded too hard in his chest, and his palms felt sweaty for reasons that had nothing to do with the morning chill.
He ran a hand down his face, trying to cool the heat burning at the tips of his ears.
“T-T-Tomorrow,” he muttered to himself. “I-It’s j-just t-t-training.”
Chapter Text
I walked into the living room, my hair was still damp from the shower, towel slung around my shoulders like a lazy cape. I’d thrown on an old, faded shirt that hung off one shoulder and a pair of black shorts I found at the bottom of my dresser. I didnt feel like wearing my mask.
The clock in the hall struck 10:40 a.m.
Nina was flopped upside-down on the couch like a gremlin, legs kicking absently in the air while she balanced a knife on her finger. Jane sat nearby with a cup of something hot, scrolling her phone like she wasn’t surrounded by lunatics. Clockwork and Jeff were debating if Eyeless Jack was considered a vegetarian ("I only eat human organs, not animal ones." He exclaimed proudly.)
“Look who finally joined us,” Jane said without glancing up. “You missed breakfast and Monopoly.”
“You mean the burnt toast and everyone trying to kill eachother over fictional money?”
She cracked a smirk. “Exactly.”
I plopped down on the smaller couch, stretching out like I owned the place.
Nina snorted. “Oh, Lenora! You should’ve been here last week when Jeff tried to deep fry a Pop-Tart!”
“I stand by that,” Jeff said, proudly. “If it fits in the fryer, it’s fair game.”
“That’s not how anything works,” Jack muttered without looking up.
“Don't get all smart with me, dude. It was an experiment.”
“It exploded." Jane said flatly.
“Yeah, into flavor!" Jeff grinned, flopping smugly onto the couch.
Before I could say anything else, BEN joined in. I didn't even hear his footsteps. Just blink and suddenly he was there, sitting right next to me like he’d always been there, DS in his hands, thumbs moving with surgical precision. Hoodie sleeves half-covering his hands. Eyes locked on the screen. Not a single word.
Jeff raised an eyebrow. “Well, look who crawled out of his gooner cave!”
BEN didn’t even flinch. “Look who’s still breathing. Disappointing.”
“Oh, good, you’re talkative now,” Jeff said, leaning closer like a mosquito with a death wish. “Did you take a nap? Touch grass? Finally jerk off and chill the fuck out?”
BEN’s expression didn’t change. “Worried about me? Cute. Maybe if you shut the fuck up for five seconds I will give you mercy.”
Nina snorted like she was choking. Jane sipped her drink without blinking. Clockwork watched amused.
Jeff clutched his chest. “Oh no. I’ve wounded the tragic ghost boy. Should I write you a poem?”
“I’ll write your eulogy in Comic Sans.”
“You’re just mad I have better hair.”
“You look like your barber got attacked mid-cut and no one told you.”
That earned a loud laugh from Clockwork and Jack, and a slap in BEN's head from Jeff.
I sat there in the middle of it, quiet, pretending to stare at the ceiling like I wasn’t laser-focused on the fact that BEN kept glancing at me out of the corner of his eye.
Real subtle.
Real fucking subtle.
He didn’t say anything to me. Not one word. Didn’t even lean in my direction.
I didn’t look at him. But I knew he was doing it. And he knew I knew.
Jeff kept yapping about whatever the fuck, Nina kept laughing extra loudly at Jeff's jokes, Jane looked like she regretted every decision that led her here, Clockwork watched Jack while he carefully dissected another fruit he wasnt even going to eat.
And BEN?
BEN just kept playing, snickering every so often, glancing at me like he couldn't help doing it.
I didn’t say shit. But I didn’t move away either.
The room was quiet now. Too quiet, if I was being honest.
BEN was still on the couch, legs stretched out, DS resting in his lap like he’d forgotten it was there. The others had wandered off, Jane to the hall, Jeff probably to go bother someone else or throw knives at a wall or whatever counted as productive around here. And me? I hadn’t moved. Clockwork and Nina were talking to eachother, and Jack had seemingly fallen asleep.
I sat sort of sideways, one knee up, chewing on the inside of my cheek like it owed me something.
“Hey." I said, after way too long of silence.
BEN didn’t look at me. “What.”
I swallowed, trying to make the words come out casual and not like I’d rehearsed them ten times in my head. “You good?”
He blinked slowly, side-eyeing me. “Why the fuck wouldn’t I be.”
I shrugged like it was no big deal. “I mean… there’s been a lot of shit lately.” I look to the side.
He rolled his eyes and leaned further into the cushion. “Welcome to the house.”
“Just feels like I showed up and everything’s suddenly on fire.”
“It was already on fire. You just poured some gasoline.”
I blinked at him. “...Thanks?”
“Wasn’t an insult.” He scratched at his ear, like he suddenly needed something to do with his hands. “This is kinda our default. No one’s blaming you.”
“I dunno.” I picked at a loose thread on my leggings. “Toby seemed like he wanted to rip your head off yesterday.” I looked down at my legs, remembering the fight. The heat rose up to my cheeks.
BEN scoffed, eyes back on the DS, even though he wasn’t pressing any buttons. “Toby’s a jealous little bitch.”
I raised an eyebrow, still feeling my cheeks blush. “You think thay because of.. the closet game?”
His lips twitched. “He’s got problems. Not mine to deal with.”
“Right..” I said softly.
Another stretch of awkward silence.
I bit the bullet. “Sorry, though. For… whatever part of it was mine.. I didn’t mean to stir up shit. I barely know anyone here and it feels like I’m already messing everything up.”
He didn’t answer right away. His grip on the DS tightened slightly.
“You think this is you messing things up?” he muttered. “You're not that important.”
Ouch. Okay. I was still kind of staring at the floor. “You’re weirdly defensive today.”
“I’m not.”
I looked up. “You kinda are.”
“I said I’m not,” he snapped, then immediately looked away, jaw tense. “God, you’re annoying.”
"....Sorry." I looked away, defenseless. I was pretty sure this wasnt helping my situation at all.
BEN glanced at me and his eyes lingered for a moment longer, his cheeks turned a slight hue of pink, and he only glanced away when I noticed it.
“What?"
"...Nothing." He said, trying to bury his face on his DS.
This was new. A new side of BEN I hadn't yet met. Was that.. blushing? Did he actually feel bad?
“I thought you were better at hiding that.” I said, half of me not thinking before I said it. But it was fair: he had played with me in the closet, this was just my payback.
Get under his skin instead, like Clockwork said.
"Hiding what?" He still didnt look at me, but raised a brow. The hue of pink was still visible in his cheeks.
"That flustered look in your face." I said, a smirk growing on mine. I was hypocritical, as my cheeks were just the same shade aswell.
He snapped his head toward me. “I’m not flustered.”
“Mhm.”
“I swear to god—”
“I didn’t say it was a bad thing.” I shifted a little, facing him more directly. “It’s just new.”
He muttered something under his breath that I didn’t catch. His pointy ears were red.
My voice was a little softer, quickly forgetting the quick banter from a few seconds ago. “I’m not trying to start anything. I just... don’t wanna make shit harder for you.”
BEN snorted. “You’re not. I mean—fuck. You kinda are. But not in the way you think.”
That made me pause. “What way, then?”
He leaned his head back against the couch and closed his eyes like he regretted every second of this conversation. “You ask a lot of questions.”
“I’ll shut up, then.”
“...Didn’t say I hated it.”
I looked at him again, studying his face. His jaw was tight. His cheeks were still slightly pink, so were his ears.
He felt me staring, turned his head just a little.
“What.” he asked, flat.
“Nothing.”
“Liar.”
I smiled without meaning to. “You’re the worst liar here and it’s honestly kinda cute.” The banter had quickly came back. Somehow I didnt regret it. My heart was in my ears, sure, but it was fun.
BEN blinked at me like I’d slapped him. Then scowled. “Shut up.”
He shoved his DS back in front of his face like it was a shield.
A few minutes passed in silence since I had given out that awkward apology followed with heart racing banter. I decided to scoot closer to BEN, which was too focused on the game to notice, and peeped at his DS screen.
He was playing Zelda. How fitting.
"How are you playing Majora's Mask on a DS?"
BEN's ears flushed slightly at my sudden closeness, but he carried on with that smug face as always. "This is the 3DS version, dumbass."
He didn't seem to be quite playing it, more like, ruining it, glitching everything that was possible, writing gibberish in text boxes, along with other creepy stuff.
"...I like Zelda." I smiled, glancing over at his face. From this angle, I could notice how pointy his nose actually was, how black his scleras actually were.
He was honestly quite... Handsome. My heart thudded at the thought.
"Tch. Yeah right. You're totally not saying that because of me." He glanced over at me, our faces were close, and he semi-flinched at that, his eyes widening slightly as they looked at mine. He looked back at his DS.
"I've liked Zelda since I was a kid... Majora's Mask terrified me actually..."
BEN snorted at it like he had some responsibility over that fact.
"So you're into videogames?" He grinned. "Finally something in common."
"Finally you're not being a jerk." I rolled my eyes.
"Don't push it, sweetheart."
He handed me his DS but didn't look at me, like he was expecting me to take it quickly so that could be over done with.
"Ruin my save and I'll kill you."
I took the DS in my hands, my hands now gripping in the same spots his hands once were. It was warmed from his body heat, ans that tingled in my skin. I started playing, and died within 5 minutes, which earned a laugh from BEN.
"You're so fucking bad."
"...Bad luck." I rolled my eyes and elbowed him. "Shut up."
He snatched the DS from my hands quickly. "Let me show you how it's done, you clearly need a guide."
He played the level with ease, even though it was half ruined due to his glitches. He skimmed through it pretty quickly, like he had done it all his life. Which he probably had.
"Oh, you're actually good."
"Did you expect the opposite? Of course Im fucking good." He snorted.
"Alright I won't doubt you anymore, gremlin." I rolled my eyes.
He closed the DS with a loud snap, shifting his position to look at me directly. He wasn't wearing his usual grin on his face, no, he looked at me with kind-of serious expression. A hint of pink colored his pale-grey cheeks, and so did the tip of his ears. I looked right back at him, as he fidget with the tip of his ear.
I grew flustered, because we were close, sitting next to eachother, and looking directly at eachother aswell. It oddly reminded me of the time in the closet, but this time was less... startling?? I guess??
He looked away, clearing his throat. "Since you like videogames... We could play together if you..uh, want." He sounded oddly awkward, not like BEN usually sounded. Another side of him I was getting to know. He wasn't always snarky, it seems...
"Zelda?"
"No, UNO. Of course its fucking Zelda." He said, sarcastically. "...We can play other games aswell. I dont just play Zelda."
He looked off to the side, anxiously waiting for my response, like he wanted to get it over with.
"Oh, uh, sure, we could, yes." And just like that, I was a stuttering mess.
"Great. Hop on later by my room then." He leaned in just a bit closer, looking directly at my eyes again. "Do not tell the others."
I gulped. I had a vague feeling that he didn't want the others to know so they wouldn't bother him, and I respected that. My cheeks flushed redder, and he noticed it.
He smirked. Of course.
"Don't go thinking anything weird." He said as he flicked my nose, earning an "ow!" from me as I cupped it.
BEN stood up and without any more words, took his DS with him back to his room.
I looked at the clock in the wall. Almost 2PM. I didnt even had noticed how quickly time passed.
Lunchtime.
Chapter Text
By the time I pushed open the kitchen door, the argument was already in full swing.
“—say ‘cheat’ one more time and I’ll shove that controller so far up your—” Jeff’s voice rang out, echoing off the kitchen tiles. He was halfway out of his seat, fingers curled tight around a knife he’d clearly snatched from the counter. BEN, who was slouched across the table with his usual smug detachment, looked completely unfazed.
“I’m just saying,” BEN drawled, tossing a grape into his mouth like he had all the time in the world, “if you weren’t such absolute garbage at every game we play, you wouldn’t have to assume everyone else is cheating.”
“Oh, that’s it—” Jeff lunged, but Hoodie casually extended an arm to block him.
The rest of the table was... normal. Eyeless Jack had his usual Tupperware of “meat”. Jane, Nina, and Clockwork sat bunched together near the far end, chatting and sipping coffee like a chaotic version of a high school girl clique, while Laughing Jack kept making balloons out of thin air and popping them near Kate just to watch her flinch. Masky sat stiffly next to Hoodie, nursing a cup of coffee like it might help him survive the day.
And then there was someone I didnt recognize—a little girl.
She was tiny, tucked between Nina and Clockwork, curled up in her oversized hoodie with a soft stuffed bear in her lap. Her wide eyes flicked to me, then darted away again like I was a stranger walking into her safe zone. She had brown long hair, and a bit of blood dripping from her head.
"Hi." She muttered. "I'm Sally."
"She's pratically Slender's little girl. Our little princess of the mansion." Clockwork brushed her hair with one hand.
"Hi Sally!" I said, my voice sweet "Its so nice to meet you!"
She shyly hid in Clockworks lap, and we both let out a giggle.
The second my foot approached the table, all the conversations shifted. BEN’s red eyes flicked up to me instantly, narrowing just slightly. He leaned back in his seat like he owned the fucking place and gave a short, pointed nod to the empty chair next to him.
Across the table, Toby twisted around in his chair to look at me. “H-Hey, Lenora. Uh, I s-s-saved you a seat,” he stammered, patting the chair to his left. His voice cracked a bit on the last word, and I could see the little twitch tug at his neck.
Great. The two worst seats in the house, and both of them were mine for the taking. BEN was watching me like a cat watching a mouse. That smug little smile tugged at his lips like he already knew he was winning. Toby was leaning slightly toward me, just enough to make it clear he wanted me to sit there. It was like standing at the edge of a cliff with two completely different ways to fall.
So, I took the safe option
I took the empty chair right between them.
The second my ass hit the seat, I could feel the air change. BEN leaned slightly toward me, elbow resting on the table, his voice low and almost lazy. “Brave choice,” he said, lips twitching into a smirk. “Hope it doesn’t bite you in the ass.”
Toby bristled immediately. “She can s-sit wherever she wants,” he muttered, eyes narrowing in BEN’s direction. “A-And she’s g-g-gonna be spending more time with me anyway.”
That made me blink. “Oh?”
BEN’s smirk disappeared. He sat up straighter, the lazy humor in his face draining away. “What do you mean by that?” His tone was sharp now. Possessive, maybe. Angry, definitely. It probably triggered his control fetish or something like Masky had said.
Toby flicked his gaze toward me for a second, almost like checking to make sure I was watching, then turned back to BEN, shoulders squaring in a way I hadn’t seen before. “I’m t-t-training her,” he said, “M-Masky and I-I-I t-talked. S-S-Slender’s orders.”
BEN’s hands curled into fists against the edge of the table. “You’re training her.”
“Yeah,” Toby said, louder now, like the words were a weapon. “P-Proxy to p-proxy. That’s how it w-works.” This was followed by a smug grin.
The silence that followed was sharp enough to cut glass.
BEN’s jaw clenched. He didn’t say anything at firs. His nostrils flared just slightly. “Right,” he muttered after a moment, tone icy. “Makes sense. Send the twitchy one to teach her how not to fall apart.”
“Hey,” Masky snapped before I could say anything. He was suddenly standing, the scrape of his chair loud against the floor, already anticipating any fight. “Back the fuck off.”
BEN tilted his head at him, eyes glittering. “Relax, Masky. I’m just saying—”
“Yeah, and I’m saying shut your goddamn mouth before you say something you’ll regret.”
Masky didn’t shout, but his voice was the kind that cracked through the room like a whip. Everyone shut up and looked at him with widened eyes, Jeff looking at LJ like they were witnessing something historical.
"Toby’s more than capable. And Slender trusts him. That’s all that fucking matters.”
Toby was still twitching, but he looked almost proud. Masky’s words anchored him. His fingers tapped against the table, rhythm uneven, but his chin lifted just a bit higher.
I sat there, completely sandwiched between the tension. Toby on one side, stiff but comforted; BEN on the other, practically vibrating with controlled rage. My heart was doing backflips. I hadn’t even touched whatever that was my food.
I had never seen Masky so pissed off.
Somewhere down the table, Laughing Jack whispered, “Oooooh,” like a kid watching a school fight. Jeff grinned like he was enjoying the show, Nina leaned over to Jane and whispered something that made them both smirk.
Sally quietly offered me a napkin across the table with a sweet smile, like she had no idea the three boys surrounding me were one step away from tearing each other apart.
I took it with a grateful nod, and muttered under my breath, "Thank you cutie."
Jeff was the first to break the silence after Masky’s little outburst. Leaning back in his chair with that shit-eating grin plastered across his face, he snorted and said, “Goddamn, Lenora. You’ve been here, what? Two days? And you’ve already got a fan club forming. Not bad.”
“Fan club?” Laughing Jack cackled, twirling a balloon sword between his fingers like a baton. “It’s a love quadrangle, Jeffy-boy. Keep up.”
I shifted awkwardly. "...Pretty sure its nothing of that sort."
“It’s a shitshow is what it is,” Clockwork muttered, though there was amusement in her tone. “And I’m living for it.”
“You’d think with all that video game time, BEN would’ve learned how to share,” Nina added sweetly, not even pretending to hide the smirk that tugged at her lips. “Guess he’s not so good at multiplayer, huh?”
BEN didn’t respond. He just sat there, his eyes locked on the table like he was mentally vaporizing Toby one molecule at a time. If his glare could melt flesh, there’d be a scorched, twitching pile where Toby sat.
Which only seemed to amuse Jeff more.
“Relax, Benjamin” Jeff said, reaching across the table to nudge BEN with the handle of his knife. “Dont drown in your own anger now.”
“Shut the fuck up, Jeff,” BEN growled, smacking the knife away without even looking.
Jeff sing-songed, winking at me like we were both in on some private joke. “You really are in deep end, huh?”
Meanwhile, Toby was blinking fast, twitching under the pressure but clinging to that bit of confidence Masky had thrown him. He mumbled something under his breath, then glanced at me again. “D-Don’t l-let him get in your head,” he said, soft but insistent. “He’s just p-pissed I'm h-having you all t-to myself tomorrow.”
There was something about the way he said it that made me blush.
BEN caught it, and scoffed, looking away. His jaw flexing hard enough I heard the faint crack of his teeth grinding.
Hoodie, who hadn’t said a single word up until now, finally looked up from whatever he had been doing the entire time. “You all realize we’re supposed to be eating, right?”
“I brought actual food,” Kate chimed in from the far side of the table, nudging a plate of sandwiches toward Sally. “And someone better make sure Sally gets hers before this devolves into someone flipping the table.”
At the mention of her name, Sally peeked up from her corner next to Clockwork, her tiny fingers still clutching the stuffed bear in her lap. She gave me a shy little wave, then looked to Kate. “Thank you,” she said quietly, taking a sandwich with both hands.
“She’s so cute I wanna cry,” Nina whispered dramatically, clutching her chest.
“Slender’s real pride and joy,” Clockwork teased, nudging Jane. “Not like the rest of us disappointments.”
“Speak for yourself,” Jeff muttered through a mouthful of food. "I'm perfect."
Jane just rolled her eyes and leaned toward me with a conspiratorial smile. “Don’t worry about the alpha male parade over there,” she said under her breath. “They’ll either kill each other or die mad about it.”
“Or fuck.” Nina added loudly.
Masky nearly choked on his coffee. “Jesus Christ, Nina.”
“Oh, c’mon,” she giggled, ignoring the chorus of groans. “You were all thinking it.”
Eyeless Jack chimed in. "Nina is the yaoi ambassador now?"
Laughing Jack cackled like he’d just heard the best joke of the year. Even Toby ducked his head and muttered something unintelligible under his breath.
BEN just scoffed. “You wish.” Not even eating anymore, he just started playing DS again, until Jeff scolded him about not using electronics at the table at which BEN just ignored.
I was caught somewhere between secondhand embarrassment and full-body amusement. The whole table had exploded into noise but the heat between the three of them was still there. Masky watched BEN from behind that stoic mask, his fingers tense around his cup of coffee. Toby tried to focus on his sandwich but kept glancing at me like he needed reassurance that he hadn’t fucked up by speaking up. And BEN, despite the occasional sarcastic remark at the group, was quietly glancing at me from time to time, more each time Toby talked to me.
I was stuck between them, every nerve in my body fully aware of how close they were, how they were each waiting for something, a glance, a nod, a decision?
Yeah.
My life was about to be fun.
By the time I reached BEN’s room, the mansion had gone quiet.
I lingered outside his door for a few seconds longer than I should’ve. My heart was beating so loud it felt like it echoed down the hall. I kept reminding myself to breathe and—above all else—not to get caught. He told me not to tell the others. And I hadn’t.
The hallway was dim. I made sure no one was nearby, no creaking floors or nosy figures lurking in the shadows. I raised a knuckle, knocked once, then slipped inside as soon as the door creaked open.
BEN was already waiting for me. His arms were crossed, leaning against the side of his desk chair, and he looked... effortlessly smug. Of course.
“Well, well,” he drawled. “Didn’t think you’d actually show. Thought you’d be too busy doing pushups with Masky.” He mocked.
My eyes rolled before my brain could stop them, but it was too late—he smirked.
He was dressed in a black sleeveless top that showed off his toned arms, and a pair of grey sweatpants that hung low on his hips. I hated the way my throat went dry for a second. The way I almost forgot to answer. I hated even more how he definitely noticed.
“I told you I’d come,” I muttered, keeping my voice low. “Besides, you said to be sneaky about it, so... here I am. Sneaking.”
BEN snorted. “Well done, you do follow orders after all.”
I gave him a tight smile, stepping further into the room and letting the door close behind me. His space was... exactly what I expected and somehow even more chaotic. It was a cluttered gamer’s dream: wires crisscrossing the floor like tripwires, consoles stacked on each other with no clear logic, monitors glowing with eerie, flickering screensavers. The glow of the CRT in the corner was warm, almost nostalgic, casting a faint hum through the room. His bed looked comically small for how much space the electronics took up, but it was covered in mismatched blankets and hoodies, like he used it more as a nest than a bed.
“Jesus, you ever clean in here?” I asked, toeing a discarded Monster can out of the way.
He shrugged. “Function over form. Besides, don’t pretend you’re not impressed.”
I wasn’t going to admit that I kind of was.
(Author: Lenora is impressed by a stinky gamer cave. amazing taste in men.)
He was already kneeling in front of the CRT TV, dusting off the controllers. “We’re doing Wind Waker first,” he said, handing me the second controller without looking. “GameCube. Ever use one?”
I looked away, embarassed. "Not really..."
BEN froze. Slowly turned his head. “What.”
“What?”
“You’ve never played GameCube?”
I raised a brow. “Should I be arrested or something?”
He grinned, that shit-eating kind of grin he always wore when he was about to show off. “You’re about to be educated.”
We sat on the floor, close to the TV, legs crisscrossed. I kept a careful inch or two between us, but I was hyper-aware of the heat radiating off his body. It was subtle, but it made my cheeks warm in the dim light.
He started the game first, letting me watch him speed through the opening like he’d done it a hundred times. Probably had. I found myself getting drawn in without realizing it—murmuring questions, pointing at little details. BEN didn’t tease me for it. Not this time. He actually answered. Even smiled when I laughed at something dumb in-game.
Eventually, he passed me the controller.
“Your turn. Show me what you got.”
“Prepare to be disappointed.”
“Already am,” he muttered, grinning when I glared at him.
I awkwardly fumbled with the buttons for a while, struggling to get Link to jump where I wanted. I could feel him watching me, amusement thick in the air.
BEN shifted behind me, scooting in so close I could feel his chest touching my back. My breath caught, and I went very still. He didn’t say anything, just reached around and placed his hands over mine on the controller, guiding my thumbs gently over the buttons.
“There,” he murmured near my ear. “Just like that.”
My pulse kicked up violently. The tips of his fingers were cool, and his voice was low enough to make every nerve in my body twitch. I swallowed hard, trying to focus on the screen and failing miserably.
He didn’t move away.
I could smell him, and something in him made my heart beat even more. His breath ghosted the side of my cheek when he leaned in a little more. If I turned my head slightly, our lips would brush. I didn’t dare.
“You’re tense,” he said quietly, his tone bordering on teasing but not quite. “What, nervous?”
“Shut up,” I muttered, my voice shaky. “You’re the one hovering.”
“Hovering? I’m teaching.”
I tried to elbow him and only succeeded in bumping his thigh. He laughed under his breath, then pulled back.
The tension eased slightly—but not much.
After a while of playing, he suddenly paused the game and stood up. I blinked at him, confused, until he stepped right up to the TV, placed a hand on the screen—and vanished.
I stared.
“What the—BEN?!”
The image on the CRT glitched wildly, warping and twisting until I saw his face again, inside the game. He was grinning like a maniac, waving at me from inside the TV he had just walked into. Then, just as suddenly, he phased back out and appeared next to me in a static ripple.
I yelped, scrambling backwards.
He doubled over laughing. “Oh my god—your face. Worth it.”
“You asshole!” I smacked his shoulder, and he barely flinched, still laughing.
“You should’ve seen it! You jumped like a cat in a bathtub.”
“Why didn’t you tell me you could do that?!”
“Because then it wouldn’t be a surprise.”
I glared at him, heart still racing. “You’re a menace.”
“Yeah, yeah, talking like you don't like it."
I didn’t dignify that with an answer.
Eventually, the Zelda session gave way to a round of Smash. A real match this time. No handholding.
He picked Link. I picked, as a challenge, Zelda. I played like I had something to prove. He played like he already knew I’d lose.
And I did.
“Victory is mine!" he said with an exaggerated stretch, arms over his head, smug as hell.
“You’re such a dick” I muttered, grabbing the nearest pillow and throwing it at his head.
He barely caught it then threw it back. The next thing I knew, we were wrestling on the floor, laughing too hard and too loud. I went for his stomach, he grabbed my wrists, and suddenly—
He was on top of me.
My back hit the floor, breath caught in my chest. His hands pinned mine to the carpet, his face was inches from mine. Everything froze.
It was just like the closet.
His breath slowed. Mine did too. The only sound was the CRT humming in the background.
His eyes flicked down to my lips. My stomach flipped. His grip loosened just a little, his face slowly leaning closer, almost touching mine. I couldn’t think. Could barely breathe. Was he really going to—?
“BEN—” I said softly, voice almost a whisper.
And then I did the only thing my brain would let me: I shoved him off with a nervous laugh and tossed the pillow back in his face.
“Okay, okay—time out.”
He groaned, rolling onto his back. “You are such a tease.” His hands on his face.
“I’m not—!” I spluttered, face flaming. “Shut up!”
He was grinning again. But there was a slight pink tinge to his ears. He didn’t hide it very well.
We cooled off, and went back to gaming like nothing happened, but the air was different now. Hotter. Heavier.
When I finally got up to leave, he handed me something. A slip of paper.
“My number,” he said casually. “In case you want a rematch or... whatever.”
I blinked at it. “...We live in the same house BEN.”
“Yeah,” he shrugged. “But this way we don’t have to deal with Jeff's dumb jokes, or Toby acting like he’s gonna pop a vein every time I look at you.”
I raised a brow.
He raised both hands. “Just saying. Use it.”
I tucked it in my hoodie pocket. My heart wouldn’t calm down.
“Thanks,” I said, trying not to look at him too long.
I left the room before I could do something stupid like kiss him. Or maybe this time, let him kiss me.
I stepped out of BEN’s room quietly, pulling the door closed behind me with a soft click. The hallway was nearly pitch black, just a faint sliver of moonlight from one of the high windows casting pale light across the floor. My pulse was still tapping out a rhythm under my skin, the adrenaline from earlier not quite worn off. My hair clung messily to my cheeks, and my shirt was tugged awkwardly sideways from when he’d pinned me down—still warm with that strange, frustrating tension that lingered every time I got too close to him.
I didn’t even make it five steps before I noticed a tall silhouette standing down the hallway. Just standing there, watching me.
Shit.
Masky.
He wasn’t wearing his mask. That somehow made it worse. He looked taller in the dimness, broader with the way his shoulders squared. His expression was unreadable, sharp eyes scanning me—my wrinkled shirt, my hair, the way I was still holding my breath like I’d been caught sneaking out of someone’s room. Because I had.
He didn’t say anything right away. Just stood there, arms crossed loosely, jaw tight. The hallway suddenly felt colder than BEN’s room had been, like the tension had shifted forms.
“You’ve got to be kidding me." he finally muttered. His voice was low, raspy from sleep, and more disappointed than angry.
I cleared my throat and walked past him like nothing happened. “What are you even doing up at this hour?” I tried to keep my tone casual, but it came out stiffer than I wanted.
He ignored the question. “I could ask you the same thing. Except I already know.” He tilted his head, just slightly, and looked back at the door I’d just closed. “Three in the morning, Lenora. Really?”
My stomach twisted. “It’s not—” I shook my head. “It’s not a big deal.”
Masky raised a brow, eyes dragging slowly over me again. I could feel how disheveled I looked. It didn’t help that I still felt flushed and overly warm from everything that had almost happened.
“I told you to stay away from him.”
“Oh my god, again with this?” I scoffed, starting toward my room, but he followed.
“I’m serious,” he said, voice firmer. “He does this with every new girl, Lenora. He plays around, gets in their head. And when he’s bored—he moves on. You think you’re special? You’re just new.”
That actually made me stop.
I turned on my heel, eyes narrowing. “Wow. That’s pretty insulting, you know.”
“It’s the truth,” he said bluntly. “He doesn’t care about you. He cares about attention. You’re just giving him what he wants.”
I crossed my arms tightly over my chest. “He didn’t do anything wrong. We played games. That’s it.”
Masky stared at me, unimpressed. “You expect me to believe you weren’t just in his room?”
“I wasn’t.”
“Bullshit.”
My fists clenched. My heart pounded in my throat, equal parts embarrassment and frustration rising fast in my chest. “Even if I was, it’s not your business.”
“It is when you’ve got training in less than three hours and you're sneaking around like some hormonal teenager—”
“Oh, screw off, Tim,” I snapped, louder than I meant. His name slipped out before I could catch it—Masky’s real name. I saw it flash across his face, surprise, maybe something else, but it vanished quickly behind the usual wall.
“I’m not your trainee 24/7. You don’t get to monitor everything I do.”
He stepped closer, eyes narrowing. “I’m trying to keep you from making a mistake.”
“Then maybe stop acting like you’re my dad. Or my boss. You’re neither.”
There was a beat of silence. Just the hum of the old hallway light above us and the sound of my breath coming quicker than I wanted.
His jaw clenched again. “You’re tired. You’re not thinking straight.”
“No, you’re just pissed I didn’t listen to you.”
Another beat. Something flickered in his eyes, guilt, maybe. Frustration. Maybe something else. I couldn’t tell. But he didn’t reply.
I shook my head and turned away. “I’m going to bed. You should do the same.”
And I walked off, back to my room, still feeling like the air was charged behind me.
The audacity of this man.
Masky stood motionless in the hallway long after Lenora had slipped into her room, the soft click of her door shutting sounding louder than it should have in the stillness of 3AM.
He rubbed his jaw, staring at the empty space where she’d just been.
He wasn’t an idiot.
He’d seen her leave BEN’s room. Watched the door ease closed behind her like it had all the time in the world, like it wasn’t a glowing red flag waving itself directly at him. The kind of thing he couldn’t unsee, no matter how much he tried to tell himself it wasn’t his problem.
Except it was his problem. Or at least, that’s what he kept telling himself.
She was new. A proxy-in-training. She had responsibilities—discipline to build, rules to learn, a damn schedule to follow. Not just… sneaking off in the middle of the night to play games and flirt with someone like BEN, who Masky trusted about as far as he could throw him.
He huffed through his nose and shook his head, jaw tightening.
That was all it was. That had to be it. He was annoyed because she had training in three hours, and the last thing she needed was to be sleep-deprived and distracted because BEN had reeled her in like every other girl he got bored of after a week.
Masky turned and walked slowly toward his room, barefoot on the cold floor. He didn’t bother turning on the light. It was quiet. But his thoughts weren’t.
He sat down at the edge of the bed, resting his elbows on his knees, hands hanging loosely between them as he stared at the floor. Tired. Frustrated.
That damn memory played again in the back of his mind before he could stop it.
Her knee had been pressed into his ribs. Her face inches from his. She’d caught him off guard during training and managed to pin him to the ground with a sharp breath and a grin of disbelief, like she hadn’t expected to get the drop on him either.
It had been stupid. A small, fleeting moment.
But it had lingered.
The way her eyes had locked onto his, how flustered she had gotten, how her voice had gone quieter after that, like something about being that close had shaken them both. It hadn’t been anything. It shouldn’t have meant anything.
And yet, ever since that session, something had changed in his mind.
She looked at him differently sometimes. With something he couldn’t quite pin down. Like she was trying to figure him out.
And worse, he found himself looking back.
Not because he wanted to.
Because he couldn't help it.
Masky dragged a hand through his hair and leaned back against the bedframe with a sigh. He wasn’t even sure what the hell had just happened out there. She’d looked so angry, brushing him off, snapping back like he was being overbearing. She’d said it wasn’t his business. That he wasn’t her dad or her boss.
Maybe she was right.
But it still didn’t sit right with him.
He didnt trust BEN. BEN with that smug little grin. BEN, who always knew how to pull people in just long enough to let them fall flat. BEN, the absolute attention seeking being that he was.
Masky closed his eyes for a moment, the weight of it all pressing into his temples.
He’d be up in a couple hours anyway, to monitor Toby and Lenora's training. And he’d pretend none of this mattered. Pretend the idea of BEN’s hands anywhere near her didn’t make something clench in his chest.
It was fine.
He was just looking out for her duties. That’s all.
That’s all it was.
Wasn't it?
Chapter Text
The morning air was sharp against my skin, biting through the thin fabric of my black top as I stepped out into the clearing.
Toby was already there, hood up, goggles in place, a hatchet spinning lazily in one hand like it weighed nothing. He glanced up when he heard my footsteps, his grin twitching wider.
“H-hey,” he said, voice quiet and still groggy-sounding, like he hadn’t slept much either. “Y-Y-You m-made it.”
“Yeah. Not like I had a choice.” I managed a smile, though I was still sore from yesterday’s session. And from, well… last night.
My eyes flicked to the edge of the woods, and there he was.
Masky.
Leaning against a tree with his arms crossed, still in his usual hoodie and mask, unmoving. Watching us. The chill of his attention settled between my shoulder blades. He hadn’t said a word, just nodded when I showed up.
“I think we’re being supervised,” I muttered under my breath.
Toby chuckled. “Y-yeah, well... T-Tim u-usually m-m-monitors every t-training.”
I flexed my fingers around the handle of the hatchet he handed me. It was lighter than I expected.
Toby shifted into a stance and nodded for me to mimic him. “A-Alright. F-foot here. E-Elbow up. T-tight g-g-grip. D-Don’t g-go f-f-floppy or y-you’ll get y-your a-a-ass b-blown off.”
“Comforting...” I muttered, adjusting under his touch.
Despite the occasional stutter or tic, Toby was focused. He walked me through each motion, each swing, correcting my form with surprising gentleness. He didn’t act embarrassed when his hand brushed my hip to adjust my stance or when his fingers lingered a second too long on my shoulder—though I could see the blush start to creep up beneath his mouth guard every time it happened.
He wasn’t as intense as Masky, not by a long shot—but he was determined.
After about twenty minutes of drills, he tilted his head and said, “S-spar t-time.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Already?”
He smirked, twirling the hatchet in his hand. “N-no b-better way to l-learn t-t-than by g-gettin’ y-your a-ass kicked.”
“Wow. Inspirational.”
Toby laughed again, then lunged.
Our hatchets clashed, and I stumbled backward on instinct. He didn’t hold back—swinging fast, pressing forward. I blocked clumsily, struggled to keep up, but he wasn’t cruel about it. Just relentless. Testing me.
He feinted left, swept my ankle out from under me, and before I could recover, I was on my back, grass cold against my spine.
He moved over me like a shadow, straddling my hips, pinning one of my wrists down with his gloved hand. The cold blade of his hatchet came to rest gently against my neck.
Pinned to the ground.
Its starting to become a trend.
I froze, panting.
“Y-You’re d-dead!” he whispered with a crooked grin, face flushed, chest heaving.
I swallowed hard. “Yeah. I noticed.”
But he didn’t move. I couldn't move from the way he had me.
His gaze flicked down to my lips, lingered. My pulse quickened. A small, shaky breath escaped him as he reached up and tugged down the mouth guard.
I blinked. “Toby—”
And then he leaned down and kissed me. Just like that.
I gasped, but he didn’t stop. His lips were warm, trembling slightly with the effort to keep it together. The kiss was hesitant at first, but when I didn’t push him away—because, sincerely, I couldn't— it deepened.
And it kept going.
One minute. Two.
His hand slipped up my waist. His body pressed closer. I could feel his body twitching slightly. He was breathing heavily through his nose.
Until it stopped—suddenly—when Toby was ripped off me mid-kiss.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
Masky’s voice was low and dangerous. A storm breaking.
Toby stumbled back, startled, but the grin stayed on his flushed face. “W-whoa—T-Tim, c-chill, I—”
“Don’t call me that!” Masky snapped, grabbing his shoulder and yanking him further away from me. “You were supposed to be training her. Not making out with her on the goddamn ground.”
I sat up, my heart pounding, cheeks burning. “Masky, I—”
He didn’t even look at me. His attention was fixed entirely on Toby.
“What the hell was that?” Masky growled. “You think this is a fucking joke?!”
“N-no! I—I was just—”
“You had her pinned, Toby. Pinned and defenseless, and you kissed her. You think that’s okay?”
“I w-wasn’t gonna h-hurt her!” Toby shot back, voice suddenly sharp. “I-It just h-h-happenned!'
“That’s not the fucking point!” Masky barked. “You're supposed to be helping her. Teaching her. Not pulling this—this high school bullshit just because she’s new and you think she’s cute!”
Toby’s grin faltered, his body twitching faintly. “D-don’t talk like I’m s-some creep, alright? I'm n-n-not BEN."
"You might aswell fucking be!" Masky’s jaw clenched under the mask. “You don’t get to like her like that when she’s under your goddamn training session.”
Toby snorted. “L-like y-you’re not j-just j-jealous. W-When is it e-e-ever that s-serious?"
There was a beat of silence.
My breath caught.
Masky’s shoulders stiffened. But his voice, when it came, was low and cold.
“Training’s over.”
He turned to me, firmly. “Go inside. Now.”
“Masky—”
“Now, Lenora.”
I hesitated, still on the ground, unsure of what I felt—embarassed, shy?—but the edge in Masky’s voice left no room for argument.
I picked up the hatchet with trembling fingers and walked back toward the mansion in silence, Toby following behind. I didn’t look back.
The walk back to the mansion felt like it stretched on forever, even though it was only a few minutes. My legs were sore, my palms still tingled from gripping the hatchet too tightly—and my lips... still tingled too.
Toby had kissed me.
I didn’t know what the hell that meant. My thoughts were a mess, like my brain was short-circuiting and rebooting every two steps. It wasn’t bad. But it was—God, why did he do it?
I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. He was walking a little ahead of me now, quiet. His hood was pulled a little lower than usual, hands stuffed deep in his pockets. If I hadn’t known better, I’d think he was just tired. But his ears were red.
I didn't know if I wanted to talk. Or scream.
He finally spoke as we reached the front door.
“H-hey, uh… L-Lenora,” he said, voice low, one hand rubbing the back of his neck. “A-about earlier, I… I d-didn’t mean t-to make things w-w-weird or—”
“It’s fine,” I cut in too fast, and my voice cracked. I immediately wanted to bite my tongue off. “I mean—just… we trained. It’s over.”
Awkward silence. His mouth twitched like he wanted to say something else, but we were interrupted.
The moment we stepped into the living room, Jeff launched an empty soda can at Eyeless Jack’s head. “You’re full of shit, Jack."
Eyeless Jack ducked and growled, tossing it right back. “Says the guy who stabbed the coffee maker because it ‘looked at him funny.’”
“That toaster was next. Don’t test me.”
“Oh my God" I muttered under my breath.
Jeff turned toward me and Toby like he just remembered we existed. “Yo. You two look like you got hit by a truck. What, did Slender send you on a suicide jog?”
Toby stiffened. I could feel heat crawl up my neck again.
Before either of us could answer, Nina practically flew into the room like a pink missile, grabbing Jeff by the arm.
“There you are!” she shrieked. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you. You’re late for our romantic walk around the woods where we pretend to be werewolves!”
Jeff’s eyes widened in horror. “No. No, no, no—put me down!”
“I’m not carrying you, idiot.”
“You’re emotionally carrying me into hell.”
Eyeless Jack groaned. “Again? It’s six in the morning.”
Clockwork appeared behind them, rubbing one eye and looking far too calm for someone surrounded by chaos. “Do I even want to know what’s going on?”
“No." Jeff and Jack answered in unison.
Her eyes flicked to me, then Toby. She paused just a beat too long. Her expression didn’t change, but I felt the weight of her gaze. Clockwork always saw more than she let on.
But she didn’t say anything. Just crossed her arms and leaned against the wall like she was waiting for the next round of whatever this sitcom was.
“I’m going to my room” I muttered.
Toby looked like he wanted to follow but stopped himself. I didn’t even say goodbye, I just turned and left, heat flooding my face, nerves scrambled.
The moment I stepped into my room and shut the door behind me, I exhaled like I’d been holding my breath the entire walk back.
Then, as quickly as I came in, someone knocked.
“…Lenora?”
It was Clockwork.
I hesitated. “Yeah?”
She opened the door and stepped inside, quiet as always, her mismatched eyes scanning the room—and me.
“You okay?”
“I’m fine” I lied instinctively.
She closed the door behind her. “You don’t look fine. You look like someone just told you you’re dying and also your favorite show got canceled.”
I scoffed and sat on the edge of my bed. “It’s nothing. Just training.”
“Uh-huh,” she said, sitting next to me. “Did Masky overdo it again?”
“No. It was with Toby.”
Clockwork tilted her head a little, interest piqued. “Toby? Huh.”
I hugged my arms around myself, staring at the floor. “It was weird. I don’t know. One minute we were sparring, and then…" I gulped. "He kissed me.”
Clockwork blinked slowly. “Oh. That's new. But not surprising."
“I didn’t ask for it or anything—he just—he pinned me and then he kissed me and I—God, I didn’t even know if I didn't like it. What does that mean?”
Clockwork was quiet for a long moment, then finally spoke. “It means you’re confused. And that’s okay.”
I looked up at her. “You’re not gonna tell anyone?”
She shook her head. “No. That’s your business. Not theirs.”
“…Thanks.”
She nudged my shoulder lightly. “You’re not alone here, okay? If you need to talk about weird boys and even weirder feelings, I’m around. Even if I'm not into it.”
A small, honest smile tugged at the corner of my mouth. “I might take you up on that.”
“Please do. I love gossip.”
Clockwork and I laughed, and she left, closing the door behind her.
I just wanted to rest, I didn't want to think about the kiss right now.
I sat on my bed in silence for a while, hugging my knees.
I didn’t know how to feel. I didn’t even know if I wanted to feel anything about it.
Sighing, I leaned back against the wall and absently reached into the pocket of yesterday’s hoodie, still crumpled at the foot of my bed. My fingers brushed against something folded. Paper.
I blinked and pulled it out.
Oh. Right.
BEN’s number. I’d almost forgotten.
I unfolded the note, staring at the digits for a second. My thumb hovered over my phone screen. Should I? It felt silly.
I tapped the number into my contacts—BEN—and opened a new message.
Lenora:
hi
I held my breath after I hit send. A minute passed. Two.
Then, three little dots appeared.
I blinked. Seriously?
BEN:
well, look who finally texted me.
I felt a tiny smile pull at my lips before I could stop it.
Lenora:
didn’t expect u to be awake this early.
BEN:
pls. i haven’t slept.
i was busy saving hyrule. obviously.
Lenora:
oh. very noble of u.
BEN:
im a hero, what can i say
I bit back a giggle.
BEN:
so… was it me you were thinking about at 6am or am i just lucky?
Lenora:
ur just lucky.
BEN:
lucky enough 2 get a good morning text though huh?
I rolled onto my side, smiling into my pillow, cheeks burning slightly. His cocky tone somehow worked better over text.
I didn't text back right away. My fingers hovered over the keyboard. Should I say something about training? About the kiss?
No.
No, I wasn’t going to ruin this mood. I wasn’t even sure what the kiss meant yet, and telling BEN—especially BEN—felt like handing over a grenade with the pin half-pulled.
I just wanted to forget it. For now.
Lenora:
maybe ill come by later. if ure not too busy “saving hyrule.”
BEN:
wow. you’re already planning your second visit? i’m flattered.
bring snacks or I’m locking the door.
Lenora:
asshole.
BEN:
<3
I laughed and sank further into my bed, hugging my pillow like it might ground me. Today was already too much, but somehow… that stupid, glitched-up gamer made it a little better. Just for now, I let myself smile.
In the afternoon, the mansion’s living room was already buzzing—everybody was here, except for Sally, which usually just stuck around Slenderman's office. Clockwork, Jane, and Nina were gathered around me, chatting about some mission Nina had clearly exaggerated for effect. Jeff and BEN were at it again, verbally sparring like they hadn’t just done this same routine yesterday and the day before that. Eyeless Jack, Kate, and Toby were settled quietly near the wall, observing the chaos with crossed arms and silent nods.
I caught a glimpse of Toby. He looked like he wanted to disappear into the wall when he saw me. His eyes flicked to me once, then shot away like I’d burned him. My heart thudded. Right. The kiss.
I hadn’t let myself think too hard about it since the moment Masky yanked Toby off me like a scolding parent and Clockwork came by to see if I was okay. I’d stuffed it in a mental box, shoved it into a corner, and locked the lid.
“Lenora,” Clockwork said, nudging my arm. “You zoned out.”
“Huh? Oh—sorry, I didn’t sleep great,” I mumbled, forcing a smile.
Jane was in the middle of telling some brutal story about taking down Jeff, which Nina interrupted to talk about something else. I half-listened, nodding when appropriate, while my hand dipped into my hoodie pocket and wrapped around my phone. I unlocked it just in time to see a message pop up from BEN.
BEN:
u look like ur abt to pass out.
i’m offended. i’m way more entertaining than nina’s 12th retelling of the haunted mcdonald’s.
I snorted quietly, biting my bottom lip to keep it contained. I typed back quickly.
Lenora:
oh really? cause she was just getting to the part where the ghost ordered 40 nuggets. riveting stuff.
Another ping.
BEN:
lol. u should be paying attention to me.
i’m cute. and cool. and dangerously underappreciated.
I glanced up. BEN was lounging across from Jeff, legs slung over the arm of the couch like he owned it. His head turned just slightly, and our eyes met. That shit-eating grin tugged at the corner of his lips before he looked back to Jeff, who was mid-rant.
Lenora:
u forgot humble
BEN:
fuck ur right.
humble. sexy. mysterious. just how u like it.
I felt my cheeks go hot. My fingers hovered over my screen, unsure how to respond to that one without sounding either too eager or too awkward.
“Lenora,” Clockwork’s voice sliced through my internal scramble again, and I snapped my head up, heart jumping.
She raised an eyebrow. “You’ve been staring at your phone for like, ten minutes. What’s going on? You sexting someone?”
I choked on air. “What? No! No, it’s—just dumb meme stuff. From earlier.”
She gave me a long, slow look. “Uh huh.”
Jane smirked beside her. Nina had stopped mid-sentence to raise both brows.
“I’m serious,” I insisted, slipping my phone back into my hoodie pocket. “Just boredom.”
Clockwork didn’t look convinced, but she shrugged. “Alright. But if you’re playing Candy Crush instead of listening to my survival advice, don’t come crying to me when you get curb-stomped by a wendigo.”
“I’ll try to take my curb-stomping like a champ,” I said dryly.
From across the room, BEN’s phone lit again, and I could feel the weight of his gaze even before the next ping.
BEN:
so when u coming back to my room
i’m feeling ignored and i don’t like it.
i’ve got old consoles. and ur dumb ass pretending u don’t love playing smash with me.
My face burned.
Lenora:
maybe ur just needy
i already told earlier u i might come by
BEN:
maybe.
maybe i just liked u better when u were all flustered under me.
I blinked hard. My pulse quickened.
Clockwork kept talking to Jane and Nina, mercifully not noticing my silence this time. I shifted a little, trying to casually glance toward BEN. He was watching me again with half-lidded eyes, with that smug smirk still resting on his stupid face. My stomach twisted. I looked away quickly.
On the far side of the room, Masky’s gaze swept across BEN, then landed briefly on me. He didn’t say anything, but his head tilted slightly, like he was mentally filing something away. Hoodie beside him was still rambling about… something involving maps or something. Probably mission stuff. Masky gave a small nod like he was listening, but his focus was elsewhere.
BEN didn’t know about the kiss. Didn’t know how confused I was feeling. How torn. How much part of me just wanted to forget it happened, and lean into whatever game BEN was playing with me—because at least with him, I knew it was a game. And I knew how to play it back.
I stared at the text blinking on my screen.
BEN:
well? do i get confirmation?
I hesitated, then typed.
Lenora:
im gonna beat ur ass this time.
BEN:
we'll see ;p
I felt myself smile—small, stupid, fluttery. I wasn’t ready to think about Toby. Not yet. BEN could have my attention for now...
Chapter Text
~MASKY'S POV~
I wasn’t listening to a single word Hoodie was saying.
My arms were crossed over my chest, one boot tapping the dusty wooden floor. The others were all spread out around the living room. Some lounging on the couch, others leaning against the walls or randomly sitting on mismatched chairs. Chaos as usual. Jeff was yelling something about BEN cheating at Mario Kart, BEN was yelling back that Jeff didn’t know how to drift. Clockwork, Jane, Nina and Lenora were huddled together like they were plotting a murder. Eyeless Jack and Kate were quiet as always, just watching everything like ghosts in the room. And Toby—
Toby wouldn’t even look in her direction.
Lenora sat on the floor near Clockwork, her back slightly hunched as she looked down at her phone, thumbs moving subtly over the screen. Her expression soft and — was she smiling?
I followed her gaze instinctively. BEN. Of course.
He was slouched on the couch like a fucking jerk, one hand on his DS, the other on his phone. I saw it, the glance. That little smirk he tossed across the room at her like some kind of smug inside joke. And the way her lips twitched, how she lowered her eyes like he’d gotten her.
My jaw clenched under my mask.
He glanced up. So did she. Their eyes met for half a second and then they both looked away, pretending like it hadn’t happened. Like they weren’t playing some secret little game right under everyone’s nose.
God.
She was supposed to be focusing. This whole afternoon was for leisure, sure, but not… that.
"Hey" Hoodie’s voice cut in, low, as if he’d been trying to get my attention for a while. "You good?"
I didn’t answer at first.
He leaned in a little, brow furrowed beneath the edge of his own mask. “Tim.”
“…No.” I muttered.
There was a pause.
I exhaled hard through my nose and lowered my voice. “I caught her leaving BEN's room. At three in the damn morning.”
Hoodie’s eyebrows shot up, confused. “What? Who?”
“Lenora. She was a mess.” I hissed. “Hair all messy, clothes wrinkled, looked like she’d just rolled out of his bed. And when I asked her about it, she lied. Right to my face.”
I leaned back in the wall, arms tight across my chest again.
“She told me she wasn’t in there. She wouldn’t even look at me when I asked. And this morning—”
Hoodie waited. He could tell I was holding back.
“This morning, during her training with Toby, he pins her down. Good technique, I’ll give him that. But then he lingers for too long.”
I look across the room again. Toby was sitting stiffly next to Jack and Kate, fidgeting with the edge of his sleeve, not once looking Lenora’s way.
“He kissed her, Hoodie. Stuck his freaking tongue inside her mouth. I was watching the whole time.”
Hoodie blinked, visibly startled. “Wait—Toby kissed her?”
“Yeah.”
“Holy shit.”
I nodded, staring off into the other room like I could unsee it.
“I lost it” I admitted, my voice cracking with heat. “I yanked him off her. Screamed in his face. Told him that wasn’t what we were there for. That he crossed a goddamn line.”
“What did she do?”
“She just laid there,” I said. “Didn’t say anything. Like she didn’t even know how to react.”
“Shit...” Hoodie muttered, looking away.
I rubbed my face roughly beneath the mask. “I didn’t think he’d pull something like that. I trusted him to do this the right way.”
“He’s always been kind of awkward” Hoodie offered. “Maybe it was just impulse. You know he has trouble navigating stuff like that.”
“I know,” I said. “But he knows better. At least I thought he did.”
Hoodie leaned against the wall, his voice softer now. “And this is just about her being your trainee?”
I turned to glare at him beneath my mask. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
He raised his hands in surrender. “Just asking. You’ve been a bit on edge since you started training her. Is it really just about her needing to stay focused… or is there something else going on?”
“…I don’t know.” I admitted, surprising myself with how quiet my voice came out. “It started that first day. When she pinned me.”
Hoodie blinked. "Hold on."
“She knocked me flat on my back. I was impressed, it was a good move, but… then I couldn’t stop thinking about it. It’s not like she did anything weird. She looked flustered, like she wasn't expecting it. I wasn't expecting it either.” I looked away. “But it got in my head.”
There was a pause between us. Hoodie finally said, “So maybe you are feeling something.”
I snapped my head toward him. “She’s a new proxy. She needs to be focused. That’s it.”
“Mhm.”
I scowled. “Don’t do that.”
“I’m not doing anything.”
“You’re doing the thing.”
He smirked behind his mask.
“I just don’t trust BEN,” I added, more serious this time. “He just likes whatever attention he's getting from her, he's milking it to the last drop."
Hoodie nodded. “Yeah. He seems the type.”
“And Toby?” I sighed. “I guess I just didn’t think he’d… do that.”
“I see where this is going.” Hoodie smirked behind his mask.
“What?”
“You’re mad it wasn’t you.”
I didn’t answer.
Hoodie leaned back. “You’re not as subtle as you think.”
"Don't start."
“…I’m not jealous” I said, mostly to myself. “I just don’t want her getting distracted.”
“Uh huh.”
I ran a hand down my face, tired. “I’m serious.”
“Sure, Tim. I believe you.” But I knew was smirking behind his mask, that knowing little shit.
I gave him a look, but didn’t argue anymore.
Across the room, BEN looked at his phone again, then at her. Lenora was trying not to smile. Failing.
I wanted to break his goddamn screen.
~LENORA'S POV~
There’s a moment of peace when Nina claps her hands like she’s just invented fire.
“Okay!” she chirps way too excitedly, bouncing on her heels. “Let’s play Truth or Dare!”
Someone groans immediately. Jeff slams his head back against the couch dramatically. “Oh my God, Nina. No.”
“Yes,” she says with a deadly grin, already pulling a half-empty soda bottle from under the coffee table like she’d been plotting this since breakfast. “Come on. It’ll be fun. Or horrible. Either way, I win.”
Eventually, after the expected groans and eye-rolls and even Jack muttering something, we all give in. So we sat forming a lopsided circle on the floor. Nina puts the bottle in the center like it’s some sort of cursed relic.
She spins it.
First round? Jeff and Jack. Of course.
Jeff leans forward, a twisted grin forming across his face. “Truth or Dare, Jack?”
Jack sighs like he’s already regretting this. “Dare.”
Jeff lights up. “Eat one of Toby’s waffles.”
A few people actually gasp. Jack looks personally offended. “I dont eat human food.”
Jeff counters. “Which is why this is the perfect dare.”
Jack groans, muttering something like “you’re all the worst,” before dragging himself to the kitchen and returning with a very sad-looking waffle on a paper plate. He stares at it like it might bite him first.
To his credit, he does take a bite.
To our horror, he immediately turns an unholy shade of grayish-blue, makes a guttural noise I can’t describe, and then bolts toward the nearest bathroom.
The sound of retching echoes through the hallway.
Jeff is cackling. I’m sitting there smiling, trying to act normal while the whole room is buzzing with noise—because right now, I can feel the tension thick in the air like static.
It’s BEN. And Toby. And Masky. All of them in different corners of this stupid game, each of them glancing at me when they think I’m not looking.
Toby hasn’t looked at me once. Not really. He keeps his head turned, fingers tapping nervously against his knee like they always do when he’s anxious. It’s almost painful to watch—this jittery energy that won’t leave him alone, like he’s afraid if he meets my eyes, I’ll bring up what happened during training. That kiss he stole when no one was watching. The way his lips trembled. The way his tongue took mine.
Masky is tense too. I don’t need to see his eyes to feel it. The rigid way he’s sitting, the way his gloved fingers keep flexing and relaxing like he’s trying to stay calm. Ever since he caught me leaving BEN’s room that night, things have been different. His voice colder. His words sharper. His patience shorter.
And then there’s BEN. Sitting across from me, looking like he always does, but every few seconds, he glances my way. I meet his eyes. He smirks. I smirk back. There’s this electricity between us, light and teasing, charged with something we haven’t said out loud yet. But it’s there.
The bottle spins again.
And lands on… me.
And Masky.
Oh God.
He stares at me for a second longer than necessary. I can feel his eyes on me even through the mask. His head tilts slightly, like he’s already made a decision. Like he’s going to make this hurt. And I already know—I know this isn’t going to be a normal question.
I swallow and shift in my seat. “Truth,” I say, trying to keep my voice casual. My palms are sweaty.
There’s a pause. A beat of silence. Then Masky speaks.
“Is it true,” he says, slow and deliberate, “that you went to BEN’s room in the middle of the night?”
The room goes silent. Like, dead silent.
It takes me a full second to register the question. And then another second to feel the heat creep up my neck. The way everyone suddenly turns to look at me doesn’t help.
My eyes widen, just slightly, and I sit up straighter. “What?” I say, trying to sound confused. But I know what he’s doing. I know exactly why he asked that. Payback. For lying to his face. For sneaking past him. For pretending I hadn’t done it.
“What kinda question is that?” Jeff pipes up immediately, laughing. “Ooooh, someone got caught.”
Nina gasps, already leaning forward. “Wait. Did you?”
BEN shifts beside me. I glance at him—and his grin is gone. Completely wiped from his face. He’s staring at me, eyes widened slightly, like he’s trying to figure something out. Like maybe… he thinks I told someone.
Which I didn’t.
“Seriously?” I say, turning back to Masky, voice rising with a mix of disbelief and irritation. “That’s what you’re asking me? In front of everyone?”
He doesn’t respond. Just stares. His shoulders tense. Like he’s daring me to lie again.
So I do.
“No,” I say flatly. “I didn’t.”
BEN’s jaw ticks. I catch the movement even though he’s still trying to play it cool. Toby glances at us quickly, then looks away again, his leg bouncing a little faster now. I can feel the discomfort in the room, the way people start squirming like they’re not sure if they should be laughing or bracing for a fight.
“Well,” BEN suddenly says, and his voice cuts through the air like a knife, “what if she did come to my room? Is that your business, Masky?”
Everyone freezes again.
BEN’s leaning forward now, elbows on his knees, looking directly at Masky with a look I’ve never seen on him before. Less playful. More protective. Or maybe just pissed.
Before Masky can say anything—because he definitely looks like he’s about to—Hoodie, quiet until now, finally speaks up, putting a hand on his shoulder
“Drop it,” he says, voice low but firm. “Dont take the bait.”
BEN scoffs but leans back again, his expression sour. Masky clenches his jaw, mutters something under his breath, but doesn’t say anything else. The game rolls on, but it doesn’t feel fun anymore.
Every time someone speaks, it feels like the sentence after might explode.
I lied again. To Masky.
And now BEN thinks I told someone. Masky knows I lied. Toby’s getting weirder and weirder around me. And I’m caught in the middle, pretending I didn’t feel something twist in my gut when Masky looked me in the eye and asked me that question like he wanted to hurt me a little.
People started clearing out after a while, like the awkward tension had finally reached critical mass and nobody wanted to be the last one caught in it. One by one, they started mumbling excuses and dragging themselves off to their rooms. Jane left first, muttering something about needing Tylenol and a nap after “whatever that was.” Nina vanished with a dramatic yawn and a spin on her heel like the chaos she caused didn’t just split the room in half. Even Jeff got up, but not without giving BEN a theatrical eyebrow wiggle and whispering, “I always knew you were getting some,” before ducking out before BEN could throw something at him.
Eyeless Jack left shortly after, probably still recovering from the hell waffle situation. Everyone else eventually followed suit until the living room thinned out. But not entirely.
Masky was still here, stiff and silent in the armchair, arms crossed, his mask unreadable but his whole energy screaming “pissed but trying to be chill about it.” Hoodie had already gone upstairs, so it was just him now, looming quietly and pretending he wasn’t still watching me from time to time.
Toby lingered too, sitting closer to the fireplace, legs pulled up, hoodie sleeves halfway chewed. Still wouldn’t look at me. Still tense in that way that made the air buzz—like he wanted to say something but didn’t know how to.
And BEN was right next to me on the couch. One leg stretched out, slouched deep into the cushions like none of it bothered him. But I knew better.
He looked like his usual smug, lazy self, thumbs tapping at his phone like he was just playing some dumb game—but his knee bounced, and every now and then, he glanced my way from the corner of his eye. His expression hadn’t really changed since Truth or Dare ended: no grin, no comment, just this steady, simmering kind of quiet. Which was worse than him being annoying, honestly.
My phone buzzed.
I pulled it from my hoodie pocket and unlocked it under my sleeve, trying to look like I wasn’t about to get chewed out over text while still sitting right next to the guy.
BEN:
so
u gonna explain why u let discount batman call u out like that in front of everyone
I sighed through my nose. Of course he was starting with sarcasm.
Me:
i didn’t “let” him
he just decided to be petty
BEN:
yeah well
he looked real sure of himself
kinda makes a guy wonder
I glanced at him. He wasn’t even looking at me, but the corner of his mouth twitched—just barely. He knew I was looking. Smug bastard.
Me:
i didn’t tell him anything
he caught me leaving your room
i lied
he didn’t buy it
BEN’s phone lit up again a second after I hit send. He read it and paused for a second, thumbs hovering, then finally started typing.
BEN:
lol
nice job
10/10 stealth ops
masky should be proud
I made a face. He was being snarky again—but I could feel it under the surface.
Me:
you think i told him?
really?
There was a longer pause. He didn’t reply right away. I could see the way he shifted a little in his seat, cracking his knuckles like he was annoyed with himself more than anything else. Then he typed again.
BEN:
idk
maybe
didn’t exactly feel great when u just sat there and let him ask that
u didn’t even defend me
That hit a nerve.
I stared at the screen. My chest got tight in that way it always did when I didn’t know whether to be mad or just guilty.
Me:
i didn’t wanna make it worse
i didn’t think he’d actually say it
not out loud
not in front of everyone
He didn’t respond for a minute.
BEN:
yeah well
he did
guess he’s real comfortable acting like ur babysitter now
I fought back the urge to look at Masky across the room. I could feel him still watching, even if he pretended not to be. I knew he hadn’t let it go either.
Me:
he’s not
he was just pissed i lied to him
i’m not defending him
just saying
BEN exhaled sharply through his nose, almost like a laugh—but not a nice one.
BEN:
whatever
just don’t lie to me
kinda hard to trust ppl when ur used to getting screwed over the second things get messy
That one stung.
That was probably one of the most honest things I’d ever seen him say.
I stared at the message, fingers hovering, unsure what to type.
I didn’t know if I was supposed to apologize. Or reassure him. Or just sit here and feel like I was the reason his stupid grin hadn’t come back yet.
Before I could decide, another text came through.
BEN:
not mad
just don’t like looking stupid in front of ppl
especially not him
And there it was. His real reason.
It was about Masky. The fact that he’d gotten the upper hand. That he got to ask the question, with that self-righteous, holier-than-thou tone, like he was entitled to the answer. Like he was protecting me from something.
BEN hated that. Hated him.
Me:
you didn’t look stupid
you looked quiet
which was scarier tbh
BEN let out a quiet laugh. Barely a breath, but I heard it.
He smirked at his phone, then sent one more message.
BEN:
good
maybe next time i’ll make him throw up instead
see how he likes it
And just like that, the smirk was back.
Still BEN.
And somehow, that made the whole shitty night feel a little less heavy.
BEN stretched with a groan that was probably more dramatic than necessary, arms lifting over his head like a lazy cat basking in the attention of an imaginary spotlight. He gave a quiet little yawn, then looked straight at me. That stupid, smug glint was back in his eyes—the one that made my stomach twist in a way I hated admitting.
“Don’t forget what you said earlier,” he murmured, voice low, just for me.
I blinked at him. “Huh?”
His grin tugged wider. “About dropping by tonight. Just making sure you’re not gonna chicken out.” He glanced at Masky.
And then he gave me a wink. That slow, deliberate, shameless wink that made my face heat up instantly.
Before I could recover enough to fire back something sarcastic, he turned and walked off toward the hallway, shoulders relaxed like he had absolutely no idea the storm he’d just left behind in my chest. I could still feel the ghost of that wink hitting me in the face like a brick.
Eventually, it was just me.
And them.
I looked up.
Masky was now standing near the wall, arms crossed tight like he’d fused into the drywall. His mask was turned slightly toward me, but he didn’t say anything. That same unreadable posture he always fell into when he was pissed but trying not to show it. Which—at this point—I could read like a fucking book.
And Toby... well, he was still next to the fireplace, hunched into himself like he wanted to disappear into the floor. His leg bounced, fingers twitching restlessly, and I could hear the occasional click in the back of his throat. He hadn’t said a word to me all night. Not since the kiss. Not during the game. Not even during that stupid, tense question from Masky that nearly outed me.
But now...
He looked up. Just briefly. Then dropped his eyes again.
Then stood.
The motion surprised me. I didn’t expect it. I thought he might just bolt off to his room and avoid me for another day.
But instead, he started walking over. Awkward, slow steps like his legs weren’t quite connected to the rest of his body. He sat down beside me, not too close, not too far, just… there. Still not looking at me directly, but closer than he’d let himself be all day.
His fingers twitched against his leg. Shoulders hunched forward.
I turned slightly toward him, brows knitting.
“…Hey,” he muttered, voice scratchy. “C-Can I... uhm—c-c-can I talk to y-you?”
I blinked. “Yeah. Of course.”
He nodded quickly, jaw clenched like even asking that had cost him a ridiculous amount of effort. He let out a breath, then rubbed his sleeve over his mouth, clicking his tongue softly. “Shit. Uh—s-sorry. I—I’ve been... a-a-annoying. Today.”
“Toby, no—”
“I h-h-have,” he cut in, with a quick shake of his head, even though he still wouldn’t look at me fully. “I kn-know I have. I j-j-just—fuckin’—I d-didn’t know what t-to say to you after... y-y’know. That.”
The kiss. He didn’t say it, but he didn’t have to.
My chest tightened. “You didn’t make me uncomfortable, Toby.”
He blinked. That made him glance at me—just for a second. “I d-didn’t?”
I shook my head. “No. I mean... it was unexpected. But I didn’t hate it.”
His breath caught. He clicked again—sharp, small—and looked away, shoulders tensing like he was trying to brace himself from the inside out. “O-Okay. Good. That’s good, I j-just—sh-shit, sorry. This is hard. I suck at this.”
I almost smiled. “You’re doing fine.”
And he looked like he wanted to say more. Like it was right there on the tip of his tongue.
I felt the shift before I saw it.
Masky straightened from the wall, slow and deliberate, like he’d been holding his breath the entire time and finally gave up. I turned my head toward him just in time to catch the slight tilt of his mask, like he couldn’t stand to watch this unfold for even one more second.
“You two talk.” he muttered, clipped and cold.
He paused just once in the doorway, hand gripping the edge, shoulders drawn tight like a cord stretched to its limit. His voice, when it came, was low. Barely holding it together.
“Don’t stay up all night.”
Then he was gone.
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding.
Toby looked down again. I knew that things were getting complicated.
We were all tangled in it.
Suddenly, Toby decided to scoot closer. His leg brushed mine. His shoulder hovered near enough that I could feel the warmth through both our sleeves. His fingers twitched in his lap like he was trying not to grab onto something—me, maybe. I caught him glancing at my mouth, then looking away just as quick.
He was nervous. Really fucking nervous.
He cleared his throat twice. Adjusted his hoodie. Fidgeted with the hem. I waited, heart already tripping over itself.
"I—uh—I gotta... I should s-say something," he said suddenly, the words coming out fast, like they might evaporate if he didn't get them out.
I turned to him slightly. “Okay?”
He rubbed the back of his neck, then shook his head, frustrated with himself. His voice was scratchy when he spoke again. “You ever, like, f-feel a thing and y-you try to pretend y-you don’t? Like, you just d-don’t talk about it 'cause it’s d-d-dumb or m-messy or just... f-f-fuckin’ complicated?"
I blinked at him, slowly nodding. “Pretty much constantly.”
He huffed a laugh, then dropped his gaze again. “Y-yeah, right. I thought so. You—you’re like me. Y-You get it.”
His knee bounced harder.
"I've b-been... t-t-thinking about y-you. A lot,” he finally said. “L-like, since the f-f-first fuckin’ day y-you s-showed up. S-S-Somethin’ in me j-just—fuck, I d-don’t k-k-know. I couldn’t look a-away. I-I was a mess after that, like, I couldn't think s-straight for hours. Hoodie t-thought I d-drank too m-much coffee or some s-s-shit."
I laughed, heat crawling up my neck.
He was shaking his head again, grinning despite himself. “Y-You were j-just s-standing there in that s-s-stupid b-black top, a-and I w-was like, ‘W-Well, I’m f-fucked.’”
That made my stomach flip.
Toby paused, took a breath, then leaned forward slightly, his voice quieter now. “And t-t-this m-morning… I-I know I s-s-shouldn’t’ve d-done it. I k-know. I—I get t-that it was a dumb m-move or w-whatever. But w-when we were on the f-f-floor, and you w-were u-u-under me l-l-like that, a-all f-flushed and pantin’,—God, Lenora.”
His voice cracked a little, and he stopped, eyes flicking away again. I could feel the heat pouring off of him, like he was combusting just from saying this shit out loud.
“I c-couldn’t stop m-myself,” he finally muttered. “You looked... fuckin’ p-perfect. Y-you were lookin’ up at m-me, and you h-had this little tr-tremble in y-your f-f-fingers, and your f-face all r-red, and I—I just... I lost it. I leaned in, and I k-k-k-kissed you, and I d-didn’t think, I just... w-w-wanted you so f-fuckin’ bad in that m-moment.”
My breath hitched.
Toby finally looked at me then. Eyes dark, his mouthguard slightly down, his expression was unsure but it burned.
"And y-y-you k-kissed me back," he said softly. "Y-You f-fuckin’ kissed m-me b-back, and I’ve been l-l-losing my s-shit ever s-s-since."
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.
Toby leaned in a little more, close enough that his hair tickled my forehead. “Y-You h-had t-this... thing about you,” he said, tone dropping low again. “Like y-you w-were a-a-always holdin’ s-something in. A-And it m-m-makes me w-w-wanna see what h-happens when you s-stop holding b-back.”
I swallowed. Hard. “Toby…” My face was all red.
His grin twitched, crooked and a little bit smug now. His mouthguard was fully lowered.
“W-what?” he whispered. “You d-don’t l-like me s-s-sayin’ this shit?”
My voice barely worked. “I didn’t say that.”
He tilted his head, his mouth just a breath away from my ear now.
“You’re g-getting all p-p-pink in the f-face,” he said, teasing, “like y-you wanna s-slap me... or maybe k-k-kiss me a-again.”
My skin was on fire. I couldn’t think. His boldness didn’t match the Toby I thought I knew. Maybe this was always there, under the stutters and the soft smiles and the clumsy jokes. A pressure, waiting for the right moment.
“I thought you were supposed to be the innocent one,” I managed to whisper, half-choking on the words, looking away, one hand covering my face.
He laughed—low and rough, almost bitter. “Y-you think I’m i-i-innocent?” His fingers ghosted along my thigh, barely touching. “Babe, I-I haven’t been i-i-innocent a d-day in my f-f-fucking life.”
My heart slammed into my ribs.
We sat there, breathing each other in, close enough to touch, to break that inch of space, but not crossing the line. Not yet. It was dizzying.
Dangerous. Toby had stopped being safe.
"M-Maybe s-s-show up in m-my room i-instead s-someday. I c-can show y-you real p-proxy training t-there."
He smirked, and with that, he left.
Leaving me stunned. Flushed. Shy. Alone in the living room with these thoughts.
What the hell had just happened.
Chapter Text
The hallway was darker than usual, the lights dimmed low like the mansion knew I shouldn’t be creeping around this late. My socks whispered over the hardwood as I padded down the corridor toward his door. My hand hovered just inches from the doorknob before I hesitated, chewing on the inside of my cheek.
Should I tell him?
About Toby. About this morning. About the training session that got way too complicated way too fast.
No.
I dropped my hand.
It wasn’t BEN’s business. We weren’t together. Hell, we barely knew each other—we met two/three days ago and somehow slid into this weird... thing. Whatever it was. But he wasn’t my boyfriend. I didn’t owe him that truth. And I didn’t want him looking at me like that would change anything.
I took a deep breath and knocked lightly, then cracked the door open. “Hey—”
“Took you long enough.” BEN’s voice floated out lazily from the glowing blue of his room. The usual flicker of screens danced across his face, making his grin look extra smug.
He was sprawled on his bed like he owned the goddamn universe, black sleeveless shirt, grey sweatpants hanging low on his hips, game controller in one hand. His blonde hair was a little messy, like he’d been running his fingers through it, and his eyes lit up as soon as he saw me.
I stepped in, shutting the door quietly behind me. “Was I supposed to sprint here the second the sun set?”
“Would’ve been nice. I was starting to think you ghosted me,” he teased, shifting to sit up a bit straighter. “Didn’t bring snacks, huh? Wow. Disrespectful.”
I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms. “We literally had a conversation about that this morning.”
“Yeah, and then you promised me snacks.” His brow quirked. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, princess. It’s how wars start.”
“Oh my god,” I muttered, walking over to the bed. “Can we just play?”
BEN smirked like he’d won something already. “Now you’re speaking my language.”
He handed me a controller and scooted over, our thighs barely brushing as I plopped beside him on the mattress. The heat of his body was so warm and I tried not to let it mess with me. But it did. Of course it did. It always did.
The game loaded up—Smash, again.
“I figured I owe you a rematch,” he said casually, leaning back on one elbow. “Since, y’know... you got your ass kicked last time.”
“I let you win” I shot back, narrowing my eyes at him.
BEN barked a laugh. “Sure you did.”
“No, seriously. I was just... learning the controls.”
“Oh, right, the good ol’ ‘I didn’t know how to press A’ excuse. Classic.”
“You’re such a dick.”
He smirked. “Yeah. But you like it.”
My heart stumbled, tripping over itself. I didn’t answer. Just locked into the game.
The next ten minutes were nothing but flying fists, taunts, swearing, and the clack of controllers. Our elbows knocked, our shoulders bumped, and at one point he accused me of “cheating” because I paused to wipe my hands on my leggings and made him miss a jump. I beat him by a narrow margin.
“Bullshit!” BEN growled as the victory screen flashed. “Absolute fucking robbery.”
“Aww,” I cooed, smug as hell. “Is baby BEN mad?”
“You’re lucky you’re cute when you gloat,” he muttered, tossing the controller onto the bed and flopping back dramatically. “I demand a recount.”
I leaned back on my hands, heart still racing from the game. “Get better, then.”
BEN glanced at me from where he layed, arms behind his head, hair spilling messily onto the pillow. His gaze lingered a second too long.
“Something’s up with you.”
I blinked. “What?”
“You’ve been... I dunno.” He tilted his head, eyes narrowed. “Off. You came in all stiff and weird. What happened after you left the living room?”
I swallowed. “Nothing. Just... wandered around for a bit.”
He didn’t buy it. I could tell from the silence. He looked at me like he wanted to press it—like he almost cared—but then rolled his eyes and let out a breath.
“Whatever. Fine.”
BEN cracked a crooked smile and turned on his side to face me more fully. “So what made you wanna do this whole proxy thing anyway?” he asked. “You just woke up one day and thought, ‘Yeah, cults and murder missions are definitely my aesthetic’?”
I exhaled a laugh. “It’s not that deep.”
“C’mon,” he said, voice dipping into something more sincere. “I’m curious. Genuinely.”
I hesitated. “It was… a lot of things. Bad home life. Shitty town. I always felt like I didn’t belong anywhere. Like I was watching the world happen to everyone else, except me. I’d been obsessed with creepypasta since I was like, twelve. You guys were my escape. It sounds stupid now.” I glanced away. "When I found out there was an actual way to summon Slenderman and become a proxy myself, I was ecstatic."
BEN’s lips twitched. “You had a crush on me, didn’t you.”
“What?!” I turned to glare at him, heat flaring in my cheeks.
“Oh my god,” he said, eyes going wide with fake horror. “You did. You totally fantasized about me coming out from haunted video game and corrupting your soul or whatever.”
I smacked his shoulder. “Shut the fuck up.”
“Admit it” he grinned. “You were into my pixelated ass.”
“You’re disgusting.”
“And yet here you are. On my bed. At night.”
I didn’t answer. Couldn’t. His tone was teasing but his eyes were darker, searching for mine.
“I didn’t think I’d ever actually meet you” I said softly, looking down at my hands. “You’re not what I expected.”
“Let me guess. You thought I’d be an edgy little Link wannabe. Or a perv.”
I shrugged. “Something like that.”
BEN’s voice lowered. “People think I’m a lot of things.” He snorted.
I looked at him.
He didn’t smile this time. “They say I’m a player. That I flirt with every new girl. That I get bored fast.”
“Yeah... Masky warned me about you" I admitted.
He scoffed, bitter. “Of course he did. That guy’s been hating since forever"
“Why does he hate you?”
“Because I’m not a miserable asshole who needs to control everything. And probably because you talk to me more than you talk to him.”
I blinked. “I—That’s not—”
“It’s fine.” BEN shook his head and looked away. “Let him sulk.”
“You said people think you’re a player.” I nudged. “But are you?”
BEN was quiet. For once, no quip, no joke.
“I’ve never dated anyone.”
My eyebrows lifted. “Seriously?”
He nodded. “Flirting’s easy. It's fun. But I never really feel anything.”
I didn’t say anything. Just watched him, trying to decode the boy behind the smirk. The cocky arrogance was real, sure—but so was the loneliness under it.
BEN sat up slowly, brushing a hand through his hair. “You’re... not what I expected either.”
“Good or bad?”
He looked at me sideways. “Annoying as hell. But kinda fun.”
I grinned. “I’ll take it.”
He stood, stretching. “You should probably head back before Mr. Mask Patrol catches you again.”
I rolled my eyes, grabbing my phone off the bed.
“Be attentive to your phone” BEN added, casually—but there was a little gleam in his eye.
I raised a brow. “Oh?”
“Might text you. Or I might not. Keep you guessing.”
“You’re so needy.”
“And you’re still here” he smirked.
I backed toward the door, heart stupidly light despite everything. “Goodnight, gremlin.”
“Night, fangirl.”
~BEN’s POV~
The door clicked shut with that soft little click, and it was like her absence echoed louder than her presence had.
I let out a breath I didn’t even know I’d been holding, slouched deeper into my bed, arm flung behind my head like a goddamn idiot in a romance movie. All I needed was dramatic lighting and some angsty background music to complete the whole cliché.
Fuck.
What the hell is wrong with me?
It’s only been three days. Three. That’s barely enough time to unlock a new fighter in Smash. And yet here I was—lying back on my bed, eyes tracing the shape of where she’d been sitting like her outline was still warm in the sheets.
The controller was still between us, dropped where she tossed it when she won. I could still hear her voice—mocking, smug, soft around the edges.
"You’re full of shit, BEN."
And I was. Of course I was.
But the way she said it?
It sounded kinda like a compliment.
That should’ve made me feel powerful. Cool.
Instead?
It made my chest twist in that infuriating way again.
And the way she looked tonight… god. The way her hair fell in her face when she laughed, the way her hoodie slipped off her shoulder and she didn’t even bother fixing it. Her eyes were tired. She’d been smiling, but it didn’t really reach.
I noticed.
Even if she thought I didn’t.
She thought she was subtle, brushing me off when I asked what was wrong. “I’m just tired,” she said. “It’s nothing.”
Bullshit.
Something had happened. Something earlier. Something before she knocked on my door, before she flopped down onto my bed like it wasn’t sitting heavy on her chest.
I’d bet actual money it was Toby. Or Masky. Maybe both of those motherfuckers.
Whatever it was, it wasn’t gone. She just buried it. Swallowed it down like it didn’t matter. Like I didn’t deserve to know.
And I didn’t.
We’re not dating.
We’ve known each other three damn days.
But still.
Still.
I snatched my phone off the bed and unlocked it, my thumbs flying across the screen before I could overthink it.
BEN [3:17AM]:
u looked stupid hot tonight btw
even while losing pathetically to me <3
I dropped the phone on my chest and stared at the ceiling. Five seconds passed. Ten. The screen lit up again.
Lenora [3:17AM]:
you literally lost. sit down.
Fuck, I grinned. She was fast. Fast and full of shit.
BEN [3:18AM]:
pls. i let u win.
charity work. ur welcome.
Lenora [3:18AM]:
charity work? u rage quit in the third round because i threw you off the map.
BEN [3:18AM]:
fake news. that was strategy.
chaotic evil maneuver.
Lenora [3:19AM]:
u unplugged the controller
BEN [3:19AM]:
again: strategy.
i’m just playing 4D chess while ur stuck in mario kart
Lenora [3:19AM]:
that makes no sense.
BEN [3:19AM]:
ur mom makes no sense
Lenora [3:19AM]:
wow. incredible comeback. 10/10. you really are a god of the internet.
BEN [3:20AM]:
ur sarcasm is turning me on
Lenora [3:20AM]:
i’m blocking you.
I laughed out loud, phone bouncing on my chest.
But then I paused. My fingers slowed. That voice in the back of my head pushed forward.
She was off tonight. I knew it. Even if she hid it under her comebacks and eye-rolls.
I wanted to ignore it. I really fucking did.
But I couldn’t.
BEN [3:21AM]:
real talk tho
u good?
u seemed kinda… off
The bubble popped up.
Then vanished.
Then came back again.
Still typing. Still typing.
Gone again.
Then finally:
Lenora [3:22AM]:
I’m fine. Just tired.
Tired, my ass. She was avoiding the question like it owed her money.
I squinted at the screen and let out a long sigh. God, I hated how much I wanted to dig. I didn’t want to care. I wasn’t supposed to.
But something in me clenched tight.
BEN [3:22AM]:
u sure?
cuz if someone said some dumb shit to u
i’ll make them regret it. fire flower to the face. no mercy.
Her typing bubble came up instantly.
Lenora [3:23AM]:
u’re such a dork XD
BEN [3:23AM]:
dork who cares :p
ur texting me, so what’s that make u?
Lenora [3:23AM]:
desperate and sad
BEN [3:24AM]:
ur projecting
Lenora [3:24AM]:
u’re annoying.
BEN [3:24AM]:
and yet. u keep texting me back.
interesting.
She didn’t reply right away. I could practically feel her rolling her eyes.
Lenora [3:25AM]:
…shut up.
I stared at that for a long time, heart thudding annoyingly loud for something so dumb. A smirk tugged at my lips anyway.
Because that meant she wasn’t logging off.
She was still here.
Still with me.
I tapped out another message, slower this time.
BEN [3:26AM]:
get some sleep
or ur gonna be losing to me again
Lenora [3:26AM]:
in your dreams.
BEN [3:26AM]:
exactly
ur in all of them
I waited. And for a minute, nothing came.
Lenora [3:27AM]:
goodnight, nerd
And I stared at the screen.
Yeah.
I'm totally fucking screwed.
~LENORA'S POV~
No alarm. No screaming Toby dragging me out of bed by my ankle. No Masky yelling about discipline and “routine” and “focus.”
Just soft, quiet morning sunlight bleeding through the curtains. I blinked slowly, stretching out under the covers like a cat. There was no rush to move. No pounding in my head, no regret (well... maybe just a tiny sliver) about staying up texting BEN until way too late.
I smiled a little at the memory.
His dumb texts. His dumb flirting. His dumb face I couldn't stop picturing.
God, I needed help.
I finally sat up and kicked my legs over the side of the bed, feeling the wood floor cool against my feet. Yawning, I padded toward the shower with my towel draped over one shoulder. After a quick rinse, I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, brushing out my damp hair until it settled the way I liked it, with straight bangs just kissing my eyebrows. I clipped in my tiny pink bow on the left side.
After brushing my teeth, I threw on a fitted black tank top, a short pleated pink skirt that hit mid-thigh, and my favorite pair of black combat boots.
Once I was satisfied with my reflection, I grabbed my phone (no new texts from BEN — rude) and headed down the hallway toward the living room. The mansion was unusually quiet for mid-morning, and the smell of coffee was a good sign no one had burned the place down yet.
As I rounded the corner, I spotted two familiar shapes on the couch.
Clockwork sat with one leg tucked under her, flipping through a glossy magazine, and Jane was next to her, mid-sip from a mug the size of her face.
“Look who’s alive,” Clockwork teased as soon as she saw me.
Jane gave me a small smile. “Morning, sleeping beauty.”
“Good morning,” I yawned, plopping down into the armchair across from them. “I didn’t realize we were allowed to sleep in without being punished.”
Clockwork snorted. “You’re lucky. Toby and Masky are off doing god-knows-what today. No training. Slender’s in his office. Which means…”
She sat up straighter, her eye gleaming.
“…we’re throwing a pool party.”
I blinked. “I’m sorry — a what?”
Clockwork grinned. “Since it’s hot as balls today, Slender actually gave us pool privileges. Backyard. Bring sunscreen”
I blinked. “Wait. There's a pool?”
“Of course there is,” Jane muttered into her coffee. “Evil mansion, murdery vibes, suspicious wealth… obviously there’s a pool.”
Clockwork nodded, proud. “Big as hell too. Like, Olympic size. I bet BEN hasn’t touched it in years.”
I smirked. “BEN? Near water? Yeah, I doubt that.”
Clockwork shot me a look. “You know?”
“Of course I know. His name is literally BEN Drowned. Water trauma is, like, his whole thing.”
Jane laughed. “Yup. He glitches the fuck out if you even splash him.”
I grinned, picturing it. “Bet he showers in quicktime events.”
Clockwork nearly spit out her coffee. “Please tell him that. Please.”
“Oh, I will. With zero hesitation.”
Jane raised a brow at me. “You two are real comfortable with each other already.”
I tilted my head. “You saying that like it’s a bad thing?”
Clockwork smiled slyly. “Nope. Just observing. You’re bold.”
“I’m me.” I grinned back.
Clockwork leaned toward me with that mischievous grin again. “Go pick out a swimsuit, princess. Everyone’s out back already.”
“Damn,” I said with a soft laugh. “You really know how to peer pressure a girl.”
“I prefer to think of it as strong encouragement. Besides—” she looked me up and down like she was already mentally dressing me for the occasion, “—you better bring the drama. BEN’s been walking around like a glitchy little emo rat all morning. Make it worse.”
I rolled my eyes but smiled as I headed back to my room.
Once inside, I kicked the door shut behind me and went straight for the drawer I barely used. Tucked beneath a few folded shirts was the only bikini I had found—a black one with little pink polka dots. The top was strapless and snug, and the bottoms were low-waisted with those tiny string ties on the sides that screamed “bad decisions.”
Still, it fit. And it actually fit well.
I stared at myself in the mirror for a second longer than necessary, brushing my bangs forward so they framed my eyes just right. I clipped in my tiny pink bow on the left side like always and grabbed a towel before making my way outside.
The moment I stepped onto the stone path leading toward the pool, the air hit me like a warm slap. The sun was high, the scent of chlorine hung thick, and the sounds of chaos already echoed around the backyard.
Eyeless Jack and Toby were in the water, violently splashing and dunking each other like boys who never learned what personal space meant. Jeff was circling the pool, holding a pool noodle like a sword and stalking someone with way too much intent.
That someone, of course, was BEN.
“Nope. Don’t even—Jeff, I swear to fucking god, if you push me—!”
“Come on, Waterboy!” Jeff yelled back with a laugh, inching toward him. “You afraid of a little splash?”
BEN growled and glitched an inch backward without even stepping, digital static flaring around his edges like a warning sign.
On the chairs near the edge of the pool, Masky and Hoodie were talking like always, heads tilted close together in some quiet conversation I couldn’t hear. The rest of the crew was scattered—Clockwork already reclined on a lounger in a red one-piece, holding Sally in her lap while brushing her hair and sipping a drink from a pineapple cup.
I stepped out onto the concrete.
Immediately, the noise dulled. It didn’t stop, but I could feel the pause.
BEN froze mid-glitch.
His bright eyes locked on me like I’d just stepped out of an anime filler episode he wasn’t prepared for. He didn’t move. Didn’t blink. His gaze trailed slowly—way too slowly—from my face, to my neck, down my waist, lingering at the dip of my hips before snapping back up like he caught himself.
A faint digital flicker sparked across his cheek. And yeah, he flushed. That asshole glitched pink.
Behind him, Toby caught sight of me mid-wrestle with Jack, and his reaction was almost cartoonish. He jerked, stuttered something, and dunked himself half underwater like he’d just been hit in the face with a volleyball. His whole fac had gone red before he submerged.
Masky… didn’t even try to hide it. His head turned the second I stepped in and he outright stared. Mouth slightly agape under his mask, arms pausing mid-gesture as if someone hit a pause button on him.
Until Hoodie elbowed him.
Hard.
I pretended not to notice the way Hoodie smirked as Masky stumbled and looked away like he'd just been caught staring at someone’s search history.
My face was warm, sure. But I kept my chin up, smiled like I was totally unfazed, and strutted straight to Clockwork.
“Well, that was subtle,” I muttered under my breath.
Clockwork looked up and gave a long, approving whistle. “Jesus, Lenora. You trying to assassinate the male population in one outfit?”
Sally giggled from her lap and waved. “Hi Nora! You look like a candy!”
“Thanks, Sal,” I said, crouching beside her for a moment. “You’re way cuter though.”
“She is,” Clockwork agreed, kissing Sally’s hair. “But you definitely win the scandalous award. Poor BEN looked like his code broke.”
I stole a glance toward him again. He was still standing there, now muttering something to Jeff but his eyes kept flicking over to me when he thought I wasn’t looking.
And yeah, it made my stomach flip.
I wasn’t oblivious. I knew what I looked like in this bikini. But I wasn’t trying to be the center of attention. Not really.
Clockwork was still holding Sally in her lap, sipping whatever fruity monstrosity she’d conjured up, and I was just starting to feel like maybe this whole pool thing could be... fun.
That is, until a sudden shadow loomed behind me.
I turned, and there he was. Toby. Soaked. Grinning like a maniac.
His hair clung to his face in dripping strands, water still trickling down his jawline. His shirt was off, revealing a surprisingly toned chest covered in faint scars and a fading proxy brand on his shoulder. He looked like chaos personified. I blushed faintly.
“L-Lenora…” he said, voice bubbling with mischief and barely suppressed laughter. His left shoulder twitched. “Y-you look…” He blinked, twice. “F-fuck—gorgeous. Fuck. I mean—uh—hi.”
"Hey! Language!" Clockwork yelled at Toby, covering Sally's little ears.
I blinked at him.
“Did you just call me gorgeous then say hi?”
“Y-yeah?” His lips twisted into an embarrassed grin. “T-too much?”
“Little bit.” I smiled despite myself, hugging the towel around my waist tighter. “But cute.”
He rubbed the back of his neck, a deep flush creeping up to his ears. “Y-you s-should smile m-more. M-makes me w-wanna jump in the pool a-again just to c-cool off.”
I rolled my eyes, but the smile stayed. “Did you hit your head in there or something?”
“N-Not yet.” His smirk widened. “B-but I c-can fix that.”
I should’ve known. Should’ve sensed the energy shift when he suddenly took a half step closer.
“Toby—no.”
“W-Whaaat?” He leaned in, all fake-innocence and all. “I d-didn’t do a-anything....y-yet.”
“You’re gonna throw me in" said flatly, narrowing my eyes.
“W-Whaaat? N-n-nooo,” he dragged the word out in a way that made it even more suspicious. “I’m j-j-just saying h-hi. T-to a very, v-very attractive girl who—uh—kinda m-makes my b-br-brain s-shut off, not g-gonna lie.”
My stomach did a little flip at that. Damn him.
“Toby…”
His hand brushed my wrist.
“Up w-we go!”
“TOBY—!” I shrieked as he suddenly put me over his shoulder, towel falling from me in the process. “What the hell—put me down, I swear, I swear I’m gonna kill you—!”
“C-Can’t hear y-you over the s-s-sound of c-cannonball prep, b-babe,” he laughed, adjusting his grip. His hand was now firmly on the back of my bare thigh, and I felt his palm freeze for half a second before he kept moving.
“Toby—I’m serious—I can’t swim!”
“W-wait, r-really?”
“YES REALLY.”
But it was too late. His feet left the ground in a dramatic leap and—
SPLASH.
The water hit like a slap, and I gasped, kicking wildly on reflex. My arms flailed for purchase and, instantly, they found him.
“Toby!” I choked, clinging to him. “I—I told you—I meant it—I can’t—”
“S-Shit—Lenora, I’m s-sorry, I d-didn’t—”
I buried my face into his wet chest as my arms wrapped tight around his neck. His heartbeat thumped loud against my ear.
“I g-got you. I g-got you, o-okay?” His tone dropped, soft and sincere, no teasing now. “I d-didn’t know, I s-swear on… fuck, I d-don’t know, my h-hatchets. All of t-them.”
I stayed close, shaking. I wasn’t crying or anything dramatic, but the terror hadn’t left me yet.
“I—” I swallowed. “You scared me.”
“I k-know.” His hand smoothed down my back, steady and warm through the chill. “I-I’m such a d-dumbass. Fuckin’—t-tic brain. D-didn’t think. I just—shit, y-you looked s-so good, I g-got stupid.”
That made me look up. My arms stayed locked around his shoulders.
“You did all that because I looked good?” I muttered.
He blinked down at me, still holding me like I was made of something precious.
“N-not just t-that,” he said, a little breathless. “But, y-yeah. Partly. You w-walk out l-looking like a f-fucking dream and e-expect me t-to be n-normal? Nuh-uh. Not p-p-possible. I’m c-currently f-fighting for my life h-here.”
I felt heat crawl up my face.
He swallowed hard. “Y-you… you f-fit in that bikini r-real nice.”
I didn’t respond. I didn’t have to. My silence was loud enough—and the way I stared at him, close enough to count the freckles on his nose, was even louder.
There was a pause. A heartbeat suspended in time.
Across the pool, I saw movement. My gaze flicked to the edge.
BEN.
He was standing stiffly by the pool, staring straight at us. At me. At Toby’s hands on me.
He didn’t say anything. But his eyes were sharp, jaw tight, brows drawn low like he was trying to kill Toby with a look.
Jeff said something to him, probably teasing, but BEN didn’t respond. Didn’t laugh. His attention was entirely on me. On us.
Shit.
I looked away.
Back to Toby, whose fingers had slowly, uncertainly slid up the bare curve of my back.
“Y-You okay?” he asked again, quieter.
I nodded.
I was already overwhelmed. I couldn’t swim, and I was latched onto Toby with both arms like some kind of overgrown life vest.
“T-T-told you,” he mumbled, voice low near my ear, his warm breath fanning across my wet skin. “I-I got y-you. Y-you don’t h-have to panic.”
Oh, the irony.
My hands were clenched on his shoulders. His chest pressed against mine. My bare stomach skimmed the top of his trunks every time the water shifted between us. I could barely breathe.
It was a matter of time until Toby saw BEN's jealous glare.
“S-s-someone’s g-glaring,” he muttered smugly, and I felt his arms shift lower on my waist.
I gasped.
His grip tightened, pulling me closer like he was claiming me right there in front of everyone. My heart flatlined. My face ignited. I couldn’t even move.
“You’re doing this on purpose!” I whispered, mortified.
“Wh-what, h-holding m-my girl?” he grinned. “N-not my f-fault h-he’s p-p-pissed.”
“T-Toby, I'm not your girl!” I hissed under my breath, eyes darting around. I saw Jeff elbow Jane, who groaned and rolled her eyes.
“Seriously?” Jane muttered. “Are we witnessing an alpha male showdown right now?”
“Great" Clockwork said flatly. “Makes me feel glad I don't like men.”
But none of that mattered, because Toby’s hand was on my ass now. Shamelessly gripping it.
I gasped, and he grinned.
And I couldn’t let go. I couldn’t swim. I had nowhere to go.
“Yo, BEN looks like he’s gonna combust” Jeff snorted. “Someone grab the fire extinguisher.”
“T-T-told y-you,” Toby leaned in again, grinning by my ear, “H-he c-c-can’t s-stand it.”
In between Toby's large hand on my backside, and his cocky snarky remarks towards BEN, I felt it.
Right against my lower belly.
My throat closed. My legs locked. My entire nervous system did a hard reboot.
And then I gasped, red faced, like my skin color was just a bright shade of red.
“O-OH MY GOD.”
“W-What?” Toby blinked, confused, his grip not loosening — until realization hit his face too. He twitched violently, the stutter tumbling out of him in a panic.
“Sh-sh-sh-shit. Oh—oh f-fu—uh, d-don’t freak out!”
I was already freaking out.
I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t look at him. I couldn’t even process what the hell was happening. “Is that your—are you—TOBY?!”
“I-it’s n-not m-my f-fault!” he sputtered. His whole face was red. “Y-you’re… you’re w-wet and c-c-close and—f-fu-fuck!”
I scrambled, trying to move away, I slipped under slightly and latched back onto him with both arms like a drowning cat.
“I can’t swim! I can’t swim, I can’t move-oh my god, this is actually happening—!”
“S-s-shit, o-okay, okay, j-j-just—j-just s-stay calm—!” Toby was flushed and trembling, physically holding me in place while clearly trying not to die of humiliation. “I-I-I can’t get out of the p-pool like th-this—!”
“This is not happening. I’m hallucinating. Kill me.” I whimpered, burying my face in his collarbone.
BEN was way too close to the edge of the pool now. His fists were clenched, his eyes narrowed like he was about to snap.
“Yo! BEN, seriously! Back the hell up!” Jeff barked, stepping in front of him.
“BEN!" Jane warned. “You know you can't fucking jump in there!”
Meanwhile, Toby was twitching in place, shaking with nervous energy.
“Sh-sh-shit—uh—J-Jack! H-Hey! J-jack!”
Eyeless Jack, drying off on the pool chair, looked over with a raised brow. “What is it this time?”
“N-no, I-I, uh—n-need—” Toby’s whole face was glowing red. “C-c’mere!”
Jack sighed, tossed down his towel, and dove back into the pool. He reached us in seconds.
Toby leaned in and whispered something in his ear.
Jack blinked.
He then exploded into full, lung-wrenching laughter.
“OH. MY. GOD. YOU GOT A BONER—” he roared, slapping the water, completely breathless, like he wasn't aware he was saying it out loud while he was laughing.
Everyone turned. Everyone heard.
BEN lunged towards the edge again.
Jeff had to grab him. “NOPE! NO. You wanna die today?!”
Across them, Masky turned sharply towards the pool as soon as he heard what Jack said. That flicker of emotion hit his face hard.
Hoodie stepped in fast, laying a hand on his chest. “No, Tim.”
Clockwork, already reacting, pulled Sally to her chest and clamped her hands over the girl’s ears and eyes.
“IN FRONT OF THE CHILDREN?!” she barked.
“I’m dying” I muttered. “I’m actually gonna drown from secondhand shame.”
Jack was still wheezing, but he composed himself enough to grab me gently. “C’mon, let’s get you out of the pool.”
I let him guide me to the edge, red-faced and mortified, trying to pretend I wasn’t also somehow still feeling every second of Toby’s body on mine. Still feeling the heat of him. Still feeling his...his....
My heart was racing like I’d just been thrown off a building.
Chapter Text
The moment the door shut behind us, the humid air of the pool area finally left my skin. Clockwork had her arm looped around my shoulders, Jane close at my side, her expression unreadable. I was still soaked, my hair clinging to my cheeks, my body flushed from more than just the heat. My pulse hadn’t settled. Nina trailed behind us, eyes wide with curiosity and a grin already forming on her face.
“Okay, okay, can someone tell me what the hell I just walked into?” Nina chirped, practically bouncing beside me. “Why’s everybody acting like someone got caught screwing in the shallow end?”
Clockwork gave her a look. “You’re late. You missed it.”
“Missed what?” Nina pressed.
Jane sighed, arms crossed. “Boys being idiots. Again.”
Nina blinked, then looked at me, her gaze flickering to my still-red face. “Wait… what did I miss exactly?”
I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, the distinct crash of something shattering outside made all of us freeze.
“What the—?” Jane’s head whipped toward the door.
It was followed by shouting. Loud and Angry, male.
Without waiting, Clockwork yanked the door open, and the three of us raced back out into the warm light of late afternoon. Just beyond the pool deck, we saw the chaos unfold.
BEN was on top of Toby, fists clenched, his knuckles already smeared red as he swung with feral rage. Toby was on the ground, trying to shield himself, blood dripping from his nose. Eyeless Jack and Jeff were grabbing at BEN’s shoulders, trying to pull him off, while Masky stood nearby, fists curled, jaw tight, clearly seconds away from jumping in himself.
“You fucking piece of shit!” BEN shouted, voice cracking with fury. “You think you can just put your hands all over her like that? You think you’re clever, huh? You’re not! You’re fucking not!”
“BEN!” Jeff grunted, yanking him back by the collar. “Chill the fuck out!”
“Get off of him, dammit!” Jack barked, managing to drag BEN away by sheer force.
Toby coughed, wiping his wrist across his nose, blood smearing across his bitten cheek. “Y-you c-crazy p-prick…” he wheezed. “Th-the f-fuck is w-wrong with you?!”
BEN shoved Jack off him, chest heaving. “What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with you, touching her like that in front of everyone!”
"A-Are y-you m-mad or j-just j-jealous?"
“Oh for fuck’s sake,” Jeff muttered.
“Back the fuck off, BEN” Masky stepped forward finally, voice low. “Before you really cross a line.”
BEN’s eyes snapped to Masky, venom in his voice. “Don’t start with me, Masky. You’ve got enough jealousy issues without pretending to be the moral compass.”
“Say that again.” Masky growled, shoulders tensing.
That was when everything stopped.
A cold, unnatural silence fell over the yard, like the sound had been vacuumed out of existence. A tall figure stepped through the trees at the far end of the lawn.
Slenderman.
He stood impossibly still, his featureless face aimed directly at the mess of bloodied boys. In his arms, Sally clung to him, her little face red from crying, her arms locked tightly around his neck.
“What,” he said, his voice like a storm under pressure, “is going on here.”
Everyone froze.
BEN let go of Toby completely, his bloodied hands slowly lowering to his sides. Toby, still lying on the ground, groaned but didn’t get up.
Slenderman’s voice dropped deeper. “Sally came to my office in tears. She heard yelling, shouting, and breaking things. She thought someone was dying.”
He looked at each of them.
Jeff stepped back, hands raised. “We tried to stop them, but—"
“I wasn’t speaking to you, Jeffrey.”
The air turned electric. Even the birds stopped singing.
“BEN,” Slenderman finally said, and the weight in his voice could’ve crushed concrete. “You have lost control. Again. Over her.”
BEN clenched his jaw, but he didn’t speak.
“I’ve watched your behavior since she arrived. The stares. The late-night invitations. The secrets.” He took a step forward. Sally was now peeking over his shoulder, her eyes darting between the bloodied boys.
“You think I didn’t know? You think I’m blind to the games you play? You put your own emotions above this household’s safety and peace.”
He turned sharply.
“And Toby.”
Toby flinched.
“I expected more from you. You are my proxy. You are meant to train the new recruits along with the other proxies, not fondle them in front of the others. You made a scene. You made her the center of it. And you are certainly not meant to provoke your housemates either.”
“I-I d-didn’t—” Toby started.
“I saw everything, Tobias. I always do.”
The weight of that hung in the air. Toby looked down, guilt overtaking the blood on his face.
Slenderman’s voice dropped lower.
“If you two want to tear each other apart over a girl, you will do it far from my home next time. Is that understood?”
BEN didn’t answer.
“Is that understood? ”
“Yes...” BEN gritted.
“Yes, s-s-s-sir.” Toby whispered hoarsely.
Slenderman turned his gaze to Masky last.
“You are the only one I entrusted to maintain order among the proxies, Timothy. I will not say this again—next time I find out you stood by while the others turned this home into a circus, or worse, engaged in it, you will answer for it.”
Masky’s mouth twitched. “Yes, sir.”
Slenderman finally looked at me, just for a moment. The air seemed to grow still. But he said nothing.
Then, he turned, vanishing back into the woods, taking Sally with him.
Only after he was gone did anyone dare breathe again.
Jeff let out a low whistle. “Well. That was fucked.”
“Understatement of the year” Jack muttered, helping Toby to sit up.
I stood frozen in place, still dripping, my heart hammering behind my ribs.
And BEN, he didn’t even look at me. He just walked off, fists clenched, leaving a trail of red behind him.
The towel clung to me like guilt.
I sat at the very edge of the couch, damp and humiliated, the terrycloth wrapped around my chest like it might somehow shield me from the sting of twenty pairs of eyes—and the echo of one unearthly voice that still haunted my bones. That had cracked across the backyard like a bolt of psychic lightning. Every molecule of air went still. Even Jeff stopped laughing.
I went cold.
Because nothing freezes a chaotic fight faster than Slenderman materializing out of nowhere in full, rage-muted silence.
We’d all scattered like kicked-up dust. No one dared argue. Not even BEN.
Especially not BEN.
The minute Slenderman raised that hand in our direction and warned us, the weight of it landed on my spine like an anchor.
So now here we were. Inside. Awkward and avoidant. Everyone acting like they hadn’t just been collectively scolded like unruly kindergarteners at recess.
But me? I couldn’t stop replaying it.
Toby’s arms around me. My body flushed and pressed up against his. The heat in my face. And BEN—BEN, who had his eyes locked on me like I’d committed a personal betrayal.
I hadn’t looked at him since. But I felt him.
Lingering near the wall, quiet, hair sticking to his face from sweating. Not speaking. Not moving. Not blinking.
BZZ.
I jumped at the buzz in my towel. Slid my hand beneath the fabric and pulled out my phone.
BEN
so. that was fun to watch.
you two looked real cozy out there. maybe next time just fuck on the floatie n save everyone the suspense.
My fingers tightened around the phone.
Oh my god.
ME
it wasnt like that.
There was a pause.
Three dots appeared.
BEN
looked exactly like that.
legs around his waist. arms around his neck. pressed so tight.
you sure you weren’t just giving the pool a show?
I exhaled sharply through my nose and typed before I could stop myself.
ME
i told him i couldn’t swim. he pulled me in anyway. i panicked.
i had to hold on to him or i was gonna drown.
BEN
uh huh. wild how fast survival turns into dry-humping in three seconds flat.
My face burned. I wanted to slam my head through the coffee table.
BEN
i’ve seen porn with less foreplay.
I bit my cheek and stared at his name on the screen, my chest rising and falling too fast. I looked up.
He was still there. Still glaring at me. Still unreadable.
ME
u don’t get to be mad.
BEN
lmfao ok
i’m not mad. not at all.
i just think it’s fckin hilarious.
thought you had better taste than that. my bad.
I grit my teeth.
ME
why are you being like this?
BEN
you mean honest?
ME
no. bitter n mean.
Another pause.
BEN
you really don’t get it, do you.
i keep telling myself this is nothing. you’re just new. you’re just interesting.
i tell myself i don’t give a shit where you go or who you’re with.
and then i see that
see you with him
and it fcking burns, lenora.
My breath caught in my throat.
BEN
i didn’t even care when slenderman showed up.
he could’ve tentacle yeeted all of us into the void and i’d still be pissed.
couldn’t stop wanting to claw my fckin eyes out.
and that’s so annoying, lenora. like infuriating.
do you have any idea what that’s like?
ME
i didn’t try to make you jealous.
BEN
but hey, you got slenderman to come all the way out just to witness your poolside PDA. impressive.
really makin waves, new girl.
I sighed, my chest tight.
ME
i didn’t mean to hurt you.
A full minute passed.
BEN
then don’t.
Another buzz.
BEN
you coming by tonight or nah
I looked up again.
He hadn’t moved. But this time… His eyes weren’t angry.
They were waiting.
I pulled on an oversized T-shirt and stepped into a pair of dry leggings, dragging the fabric up over skin still warm from the shower. I didn’t bother with makeup or fixing my hair. I just needed to feel… normal again. Like a person. Not a pawn. Not a spectacle.
I sat on the bed, letting the silence settle around me. My towel-damp hair dripped onto the back of my shirt, but I didn’t care. For once, I wasn’t bracing for something. No jeers, no flirty text, no fists flying by the pool.
Just me. Breathing.
A knock suddenly landed on my door. Two short taps, like he didn’t want to scare me.
I didn’t answer.
“…Lenora?”
Masky.
I looked toward the door, jaw already tightening. I could hear the way his voice softened—like he was trying to defuse a bomb through the wood. I guess I was the bomb.
I hesitated, then walked over and opened the door halfway. He stood in the hallway, same hoodie, same mask, same careful posture. Like always.
“What.” I said flatly.
His shoulders tensed for a second, then he glanced down the hall and back at me. “Can I come in for a sec?”
I stared at him. Then stepped aside with a sigh and walked back to the bed.
He closed the door behind him but didn’t get too close, just stood near the wall like he wasn’t sure he was allowed to be there.
I didn’t look at him.
“I just wanted to check in” he said after a beat. “After… all that. By the pool.”
“I’m fine.”
“Lenora—”
“I said I’m fine.”
He went quiet again, probably realizing he couldn’t bullshit his way past my tone.
When he spoke again, it was softer. “I know you’re still mad at me.”
That got a dry laugh out of me. “Wow. Took you long enough.”
“I deserve that.”
“You deserve more than that” I snapped, finally turning to face him. “You called me out in front of everyone. You think I forgot that?”
“I didn’t forget,” he said, quiet but steady. “I regret it.”
That made me pause.
“I shouldn’t have done that.” he continued. “I was frustrated. I thought—” He stopped himself, then started again. “I thought I was protecting you. Trying to make you focused. But I crossed a line.”
“You think?”
“I’m being serious, Lenora.”
I stared at him. Waiting.
He took a breath. “I never wanted to make you feel like I was controlling you. Or shaming you. I just… I saw you sneaking out of his room and lying to my face about it, and I got caught up in everything I’ve seen happen before. I didn’t want that happening to you. But I went about it the wrong way. And I’m sorry.”
I blinked, stunned for a second by how direct he was. No excuses. No passive-aggressive tone. Just… an actual apology.
Still, I wasn’t ready to hand him forgiveness like candy.
“You made me feel like I was stupid.” I said quietly. “Like you weren’t on my side.”
His head dipped just slightly, like that hit harder than I meant it to.
“I get that,” he said. “And I’m not asking you to forgive me right away. I just needed you to hear it from me, not through someone else. I was wrong.”
Silence stretched between us, heavy but not cold. I looked down at my hands, fingers curled into the hem of my shirt.
“I lied to you,” I said. “Back in the hallway. You were right.”
He didn’t move, but his tone softened even more. “It doesn’t matter now.”
“It does,” I said. “But not for the reason you think. I lied because I had promised BEN not to tell anyone. And you were already looking at me like I was another girl making the same mistake.”
“I don’t think you’re stupid.”
“Then stop treating me like I’m fragile.”
That made him finally shift. He took a step forward, cautious.
“You’re not fragile.” he said. “I think you're strong. Physically...and emotionally."
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
“If you ever do that again… call me out like that in front of everyone…”
“I won’t.” he said quickly. “I swear.”
Another pause.
“Okay.” I said finally. “Apology accepted.”
The way his shoulders dropped told me he’d been holding tension this whole time.
“Thanks.” he said. “Really.”
He turned toward the door, but paused. “I’ll leave you alone now. Just wanted to say it while it still mattered.”
Then he hesitated, his hand on the doorknob.
“…I’ll swing by tomorrow,” he added, glancing back at me. “Help you pick out your weapon. If you’re ready.”
That caught me off guard—but in a good way.
“Sure.” I said, quietly. “Yeah. Okay.”
He nodded once, that same almost-imperceptible motion he always made when something mattered more than he let on.
Then he slipped out into the hallway and pulled the door shut behind him.
For the first time all day… I felt like I could actually breathe.
I stood outside his door with a plastic bag full of snacks and my heartbeat pounding like it was trying to burst through my ribs. My fingers curled tighter around the bag handles, hesitant. The air in the hallway felt thick, still echoing with the tension of the fight from earlier. BEN’s words from the texts replayed in my head over and over.
I took a breath and knocked.
The door creaked open instantly, like he’d been standing right there.
He looked… calmer than I expected. Not relaxed, but not rabid with anger like earlier either. Just… guarded. His sleeveless black shirt clung to his chest, his grey sweatpants low on his hips, and his blond hair looked like he’d run his fingers through it a hundred times. Did he even wash his clothes? The screens in his room cast their usual blue glow, but everything felt dimmer than usual, like even his neon kingdom had quieted down for the night.
"You brought the bribes" he muttered, eyeing the snacks.
"You’d slam the door if I came empty-handed."
"Still might" he said, but stepped aside to let me in.
I crossed the threshold slowly, suddenly all too aware of my own body. Of how close we’d come to something last time. Of how different this felt now. I put the bag of snacks in his desk.
He let me sit first, then flopped down beside me with a sigh. We didn’t touch, but his leg rested close enough that I could feel the heat of him. The silence stretched. Long. Uncomfortable.
"So," I said softly, "you okay?"
BEN gave a dry laugh. “Define okay. I didn’t drown myself in the pool like an idiot, so... win?”
“You almost did,” I said, voice low. “I saw you.”
His smirk faltered, just slightly. “Yeah, well, someone had their hands on your ass.”
The words hung in the air like a slap. My cheeks burned instantly.
“I didn’t ask him to do that,” I said quickly. “I—I was caught off guard. I didn’t know how to react.”
BEN turned his head slowly toward me. His eyes flickered—less like static, more like actual hurt. “You didn’t pull away, either.”
That stung. I opened my mouth, then shut it again. Then opened it.
“If i did, I would drown, BEN. I was flustered. I wasn’t expecting it—especially not in front of you.”
“Exactly,” he said, voice sharp. “He did it because I was watching. That’s the whole point. He was trying to start something. And he did. Congrats to him.”
I swallowed hard. “He was trying to provoke you. You let him win.”
BEN snorted, bitter. “Don’t try to flip it. You have no idea what it felt like standing there, watching him touch you like that. Acting like you were his. Like I wasn’t even there.”
I turned to face him fully. “Then why didn’t you just say something? Why wait ‘til it blew up?”
“Because I didn’t know what the hell I was feeling, okay?!” he snapped. "And you act like that would've stopped him."
My eyes widened. His chest rose and fell faster now, jaw tight.
“I’m not... good at this crap,” he muttered, quieter now. “I don’t get all soft and tell people how I feel. I curse at everyone. I’m a dick on purpose. But when it’s you…”
His voice caught.
I waited, barely breathing.
He finally looked at me again, and something in him cracked.
“When it’s you,” he repeated, “I feel... not like myself. Like I’m glitching out inside. And that freaks me the hell out.”
My throat was tight. I didn’t have an answer for that—not one that didn’t make this whole thing worse.
“I didn’t mean to make you feel that way,” I whispered.
He exhaled, long and shaky, like he’d been holding in the universe.
“Then don’t do that again,” he said, voice low. “Don’t let him touch you like that.”
I stared at him. “You don’t get to tell me who can touch me.”
BEN leaned in. “I know I don’t.” he said. “But I’m asking.”
My heart stuttered. I felt the tension coil in my stomach, winding tighter and tighter. His face was inches from mine now. He reached up, one hand lifting toward my cheek, but he paused—waiting. Asking without words.
I gave the faintest nod.
His fingers brushed my face like I was made of something fragile—nothing like the cocky, pushy, arrogant side he wore around everyone else. It sent a shiver down my spine.
“You drive me crazy,” he whispered. “I don’t get it. I don’t even want to get it.”
“You’re not alone in that...” I murmured, unable to look away.
He leaned in closer, until his lips brushed mine in the barest tease.
And then we kissed.
It was slow at first, like we was testing me. My hands moved to his chest instinctively, gripping the fabric of his shirt as his fingers slid to my waist. He tugged me closer until I was half on his lap, his hand slipping under the hem of my shirt to rest warm on my lower back. The kiss deepened, heat blooming in my chest as his mouth moved over mine, hungry now, desperate. Like he’d waited too long.
BEN pulled back just enough to whisper against my lips, “Tell me to stop.”
I didn’t.
Instead, I kissed him again, and this time, he groaned into it, pulling me with him as he leaned back onto the bed, dragging me down with him. I braced myself over him, heart slamming in my ears as his hands explored my body, each touch setting something inside me alight. My hands tangled in his hair as he kissed down my jaw, every movement slow, focused, possessive.
“You don’t get it” he murmured, voice hoarse, “what you do to me…”
“I’m starting to.” I whispered.
We stayed like that, tangled in each other on his bed, every touch more charged than the last and something between us finally starting to break loose.
BEN kissed like he wanted to win something, like if he pressed hard enough, I’d finally understand what the hell had been brewing under the surface between us. My fingers dug into his hair, tugging slightly, and I could feel him groan against my lips like the sound had been clawing to get out.
His weight shifted, switching me beneath him and pressing me into the mattress more fully, and my breath caught when his hand slipped under my shirt, warm palm grazing over my chest like I was already his.
I kissed him back just as hard, just as fast, like I needed to keep up or lose something I couldn’t name.
But still… I pulled back.
“Wait—wait.” I swallowed, heart hammering against my ribs. “I… I need to tell you something.”
BEN blinked at me. His pupils were blown wide, and his lips were flushed from kissing. His breath came in shallow, controlled huffs. “If you’re about to tell me you brought more Doritos instead of those cookies, I’m kicking you out.”
I laughed, weakly. Then sobered. “It’s about… Toby.”
Immediately, his expression darkened. That cold, sharp edge in his eyes returned like a flicked switch. “What now?”
I hesitated. God, I didn’t want to ruin this. But I couldn’t keep lying—not when he was looking at me like that.
“Two days ago,” I started slowly, voice low, “During training… he, uh—he kissed me.”
BEN didn’t move. Didn’t blink.
I rushed to explain. “It was when he had me pinned with his hatchet—he kissed me. I was just… shocked. I didn’t even know what to do, and I didn’t tell you because—because I knew you’d freak out like this.”
His eyes narrowed. “Like this?” he repeated, voice low and dangerous. “Lenora, are you fucking serious right now?”
“BEN—”
“That little shit kissed you. Pinned you to the ground and kissed you?” he repeated, almost to himself. His jaw was clenched so hard I thought he might break a tooth.
“Yes. But I didn’t—”
He surged forward, mouth crashing into mine again, and this time it wasn’t careful. It was wild. Furious. Possessive. Like he was trying to erase it—erase Toby—with every desperate, angry kiss.
“You shouldn't have done that" he breathed between kisses, voice gravelly and low. “You should’ve fucking told me, Lenora.”
His hands were everywhere now, one gripping my hip, the other threading into my hair, tilting my head so he could kiss down my jaw, my throat. I gasped as his lips moved lower, nipping the sensitive skin just below my ear.
“I hated it,” he muttered. “Watching him put his hands on you earlier—”
I breathed, clinging to his shirt.
He kissed me again, roughly and deep, shutting me up in the most effective way. His body pressed against mine, the heat between us so thick I felt dizzy. His hips pressed down, slowly and deliberatly against me, and I felt all of it. Every angry ounce of frustration and jealousy simmering under his skin.
“You make me fucking crazy,” BEN whispered against my mouth. “You have no idea.”
He started kissing down my sternum, slow and reverent. Like he needed to prove a point. Like he was claiming me.
“I hate that I care this much,” he murmured against my skin. “Hate that you do this to me.”
My hands trembled as I touched his back, nails dragging lightly over the soft fabric of his shirt. “Then stop.”
He looked up at me, lips red, pupils blown. “Can’t.”
And then he was kissing me again—my ribs, my stomach, the dip of my hip, all soft and slow and worshipful like I was something he hadn’t let himself want until now.
“You’re mine,” he whispered, like a curse and a confession. “Fucking mine, Lenora. I don’t give a shit what Toby thinks or doesn't think.”
My breath hitched as he kissed back up on my body, lingering at my chest before coming back to my lips. His voice was hoarse now, fraying at the edges. “Say it.”
I blinked at him, dazed. “S-Say what?”
“That you’re mine.”
I stared up at him, throat dry, lips parted. “I—”
And then he kissed me again, hard and deep, like he didn’t need me to say it. Like he already knew.
Every kiss felt like a dare—like he was trying to pull something out of me I didn’t even know I had.
I whimpered into his mouth, my fingers gripping the back of his neck, nails slightly digging in when his teeth tugged on my lower lip. I felt dizzy, flushed, everything too warm.
I gasped as his lips dragged down my jaw to my neck, then to my bare chest, as he wrapped his big hand against my small breast, using his fingers to tease my nipple while he sucked on the other one.
“Y-You’re mine,” he muttered, his voice low and guttural. “You're all mine."
“BEN—!" I whimpered, moaning as his hands played with my chest. My head was dizzy, and my body full of heat.
He tugged my shirt over my head, tossing it somewhere without looking, finally free to stare at my upper body naked, then ran both hands over my bare sides like he needed to feel every inch of me to calm the chaos in his chest. His hands were massive along my small waist, and he smirked as he saw how tiny I looked in his grasp.
I could barely breathe. My heart was pounding so hard I thought it might tear itself free. “Y-You’re scaring me a little” I admitted, breathless, half-laughing because it felt like I was free-falling and there was no floor beneath us.
“Good” he said, voice wrecked.
He kissed me again, his tongue exploring every single inch of my mouth, taking me there and now. I whimpered as he kept touching my boobs, pinching my nipples just to make me whine under his grasp. Then he pressed his hips down against mine—slowly, deliberate.
I gasped.
There was no denying it anymore—he wanted me. All of him, pressed tightly to me, I could feel him, hard. The way he was grinding into my core, slowly and heavy, it sent a whole storm of heat through my chest. I moaned and whimpered as he did so, gripping at his shoulders, and instinctivily wrapping my legs around him.
“Feel that?” he hissed into my neck. “That’s what you fucking do to me.”
His voice broke slightly at the edges, like even he didn’t understand how far gone he was. “I don’t even know what the hell we are. I don’t care. But I want you. Every inch. Every fucking breath.”
My hands slid into his hair, tugging just enough to make him groan. “BEN…”
He kissed me again like he was trying to burn the memory of anyone else off my lips.
His hips rolled against me again, slow and heavy and so fucking deliberate that my breath hitched in my throat.
“BEN…” I whispered, almost warning him, but I didn’t even know what I was warning him about. I could barely think. Everything was heat and tension and his weight on top of me, his mouth dragging down my neck like he wanted to brand me with every kiss.
“Say my name like that again...” he muttered, lips brushing over the hollow of my throat, and I swear he smirked when he heard the shaky little sound I made in return.
Cocky bastard.
His hands were on my chest, on my thighs, on my neck. And the grinding… He was rocking into me with this urgency that made it hard to breathe, let alone think.
I wasn’t sure how long it went on, how long we stayed locked like that. He started to grow impatient, the friction between his hardened dick and my wet core was too intense for me to ever keep track of time. He grinded on me harder, faster, I could feel the way he groaned on my ear, the way he would smirk or tease whenever I let out a sound that was too needy or desperate.
His body tensed all at once. His grinded onto me one last time, hard, making me whine loudly, and let out a choked groan, a whimper, in my ear.
And then he froze.
There was a long, stunned pause.
Then—"…F-Fuck."
I blinked, still trying to catch my breath as his weight shifted just slightly above me. His face was red. Like, full-on flushed to the tips of his ears. I’d never seen BEN look this embarrassed before, not really, but he looked like he wanted to glitch into the fucking wall and disappear.
“…D-Did you just—” I started, my face probably equally flushed.
“Don’t,” he muttered sharply, voice strangled.
My brows shot up. “Did you literally just—”
“Lenora, I swear to god—” He buried his face in the crook of my neck, groaning, and I couldn’t help the breathless laugh that slipped out.
“Oh my god, you did.” I tried to push him off gently, teasing. “Y-You got so worked up from dry-humping me you actually—?”
“Shut up” he hissed, even redder now, still hiding his face. “It’s not funny.”
“It’s so funny.”
“It’s your fault,” he growled, voice muffled against my skin. “You were whimpering and clinging to me like—like that—and you expected me to just not lose my shit?”
I laughed again and reached up to run my fingers through his hair. “I mean… it’s kind of flattering.”
He groaned again, clearly hating that he had feelings now. “I hate you.”
“No you don’t.”
“…No. I really fucking don’t.”
There was a beat of silence. Then, quieter, more serious:
“I’m so gone for you, it’s fucking ridiculous.”
I felt my heart stutter against my ribs.
I smiled, eyes closing as I leaned into his weight, still feeling the echo of every desperate touch and needy kiss.
“…Good. ‘Cause I think I’m kind of gone for you too.”
BEN finally shifted, arms still braced on either side of me, his breathing uneven. I felt his chest move against mine with every inhale, like even he hadn’t expected things to escalate that far.
“Okay,” he muttered, blinking down at me. “Uh. I need to… change. Like, immediately.”
I blinked up at him, still lying beneath him on his bed, heart racing in my throat. I gave a breathely laugh.
“Shut up,” he snapped, voice too quick, too high. His face was flushed as he started to roll off me and stand. “You’re the one who… who did all that whining.”
I opened my mouth to say something smart back—maybe call him out on how hard he was, grinding like he was trying to prove something—but he stood up too fast and turned away, grabbing his hoodie from the edge of his gaming chair.
He glanced back down at me.
Specifically, at my chest.
Typical BEN.
His gaze flicked up immediately. “I didn’t look!” he lied—badly—before darting into the bathroom, muttering something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like “fucking hell.”
I sat there for a second, still catching my breath, my limbs jelly. The air in the room was thick with what just happened. It was honestly so cute seeing BEN embarassed like that. Slowly, I reached for my shirt and put it back on, every movement feeling surreal. Like I was dreaming.
What the hell had that even been?
He’d been jealous. The moment I told him about that kiss Toby gave me, it was like something snapped in him. And now here I was, sprawled on his bed after practically being dry-humped to another dimension.
Not that I complained—I didn't.
I barely had time to think more clearly before the bathroom door creaked open and BEN stepped back out. Now in different shorts. Black again, of course, because this boy had no color palette other than black, grey and green.
He looked… bashful. For about two seconds.
Then he cleared his throat and smirked like he hadn't just run from his own emotions.
“So,” he said, brushing nonexistent dust from his hands. “You still suck at Smash or did I fluster you into developing some actual skills?”
I gave him a flat look. “He's back.” I rolled my eyes, smiling.
He sauntered over to the TV, clicked his controller on, and gave me a wink. “Damn right I am. You joining or what, whimper girl?”
I felt my face go hot. “Don’t call me that.”
“Oh, definitely calling you that,” he said, flopping onto the bed again and patting the space between his legs like he owned it. “C’mere.”
I hesitated. He cocked an eyebrow.
“What? Afraid I’ll distract you? I promise to only make mildly inappropriate comments during battle.”
I sighed and crawled over, settling back against him as he pulled me flush to his chest, arms wrapping around my waist like this was normal.
Like we hadn’t just… done all that.
He rested his chin on my shoulder, controller already in hand.
“Don’t think this means anything...” he mumbled near my ear, just low enough that I felt the heat of it in my spine.
I tilted my head toward him. “Is that so?”
“Yeah, well,” he muttered, narrowing his eyes at the screen. “You’re warm. Shut up.”
I smirked. “BEN.”
“What.”
“You finished in your pants.”
“Shut the fuck up, Lenora.”
I laughed so hard I dropped the controller.
After an embarrassing number of Smash losses (on my end), BEN finally tossed his controller onto the bed with a dramatic sigh.
“That’s it. You’re hopeless.”
I huffed, nudging his leg. “You literally just KO’d me because you kept whispering things in my ear.”
“Psychological warfare, babe. Learn it.”
He stretched his arms behind his head, looking way too pleased with himself, his usual smirk plastered on like it was permanent. But there was something softer under it now—less smug, more… hesitant. Which wasn’t normal for him. BEN never hesitated.
I started to get up. “Alright, it’s late. I should go before someone else catches me leaving your room at three in the morning again.”
His smirk wavered. He didn’t say anything at first, just watched me with a twitchy jaw and fingers clenching the edge of his hoodie.
“Lenora,” he said finally, voice quieter than usual. Like he hated even saying my name that way.
I paused, turning toward him. “Yeah?”
He looked at me, then past me, then back again like this was physically painful for him. “...You don’t have to go.”
I raised a brow. “Youre saying you want me to stay?”
He groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “Don’t make this a thing. Just—shut up.”
I blinked. Then smirked. “Are you asking me to sleep in your bed?”
“No,” he said too fast, ears turning red. “I’m saying… it’s cold. And you’re here. And I’m... used to you now.”
I bit back a grin. “So you want to snuggle.”
BEN stared at me like I’d just kicked his ego in the teeth. “No.”
I tilted my head. “Mmm-hmm. Say it. Say you wanna snuggle me.”
He narrowed his eyes. “I will literally ban you from using GameCube controllers if you keep talking.”
“You’re the one who wants cuddles, dude.”
“I don’t! I just—ugh. Fine. Yes. Okay? You happy?” he snapped, voice rising before he slumped back against the pillow with a defeated groan. “Jesus Christ, you’re annoying.”
I was already crawling under the blanket with a smug grin.
BEN sighed and turned off the TV with a snap of his fingers, plunging the room into a soft blue glow from one of the monitors still idling. Then he turned toward me, wrapping an arm around my waist like it was muscle memory.
I laid there in stunned silence for a second.
His fingers drummed lightly against my hip.
“Don’t make it weird” he muttered, eyes closed.
“You made it weird,” I said, trying not to smile too obviously. “This is weird. We’re weird.”
He snorted. “You’re weird. I’m perfect.”
“You finished in your pants an hour ago.”
BEN groaned and threw the blanket over both our heads. “Shut. Up.”
We both laughed. Quietly. His arm stayed around me. His breath stayed warm on my neck.
Eventually, when he thought I might be asleep, I heard him whisper.
“I like it when you’re here, you know.”
My heart tripped.
I didn’t say anything. I just reached back and took his hand in mine.
And he didn’t pull away.
Chapter 10
Notes:
Half of the chapter is NSFW
Chapter Text
~MASKY’S POV~
The hallway was quiet.
I stood in front of her door, arms crossed, trying not to overthink it. Just a normal morning. I was here to take her to pick out her proxy weapon, like we agreed. That was it.
I raised my hand and knocked. Once.
Waited.
Knocked again. Louder this time.
Nothing.
"Lenora." I called, already frowning.
Still nothing.
I tried the handle, expecting resistance, but... It turned easily.
Unlocked.
That… wasn’t like her.
She always locked her door. So when the door swung open with no resistance, my gut immediately tensed.
The room was clean. Too clean.
Bed made. Blanket tucked. No pillow creases, no messy pile of clothes, no half-empty glass of water on her desk like usual. It looked untouched. Like no one had slept there at all.
I stepped in, looking around, my heart picking up just a bit.
Maybe she’d gotten up early?
No. No, she would’ve left the blanket rumpled. She wouldn’t have made the bed perfectly and disappeared without a word.
A dozen possibilities flashed through my mind. Did she leave the mansion? Wander into the woods? Get taken? Do something reckless?
And then, one thought pushed past the rest like a cocky little shit barging into a room uninvited:
BEN.
I stood still for a second, jaw tightening. I could feel it happening—the flicker of heat crawling up the back of my neck. Sharp and stupid, curling in my chest before I could shove it down.
I huffed, turning on my heel and heading down the hall.
I didn’t want it to be BEN. God, I hoped I was wrong. But I wasn’t fucking born yesterday.
They’d been dancing around each other since day one. The teasing, the glances, the late-night video games. BEN didn’t do subtle, and Lenora was still new enough to get caught in the undertow of his bullshit charm.
Still, I’d promised myself I’d let things go. Be in a good mood. Start fresh after the mess the night before. I’d even apologized, goddamn it.
So I knocked on BEN’s door.
Once.
Twice.
The second knock was not patient.
A muffled groan came from inside, followed by a voice like sandpaper and spite:
“What?!”
Of course.
I heard shuffling, something getting kicked over, the creak of bedsprings. Then the door yanked open, and there he was.
BEN.
Sleepy, half-dressed, hair sticking up like he lost a fight with his ethernet cable. Hoodie off. Smug as fuck already and we hadn’t even exchanged insults yet.
His eyes narrowed. “What the hell do you want?”
I didn’t blink. “I’m here for Lenora.”
He blinked. “What?”
“She was supposed to meet me this morning. We’re picking her weapon. Did she forget?”
The words came out sharper than I intended. I was already irritated.
BEN tilted his head, that slow, condescending smirk crawling up his face. “Ohhh. That’s today? Huh. Guess she forgot.”
And then I heard her.
Soft rustling. Sheets shifting. A quiet groan from inside the room.
Lenora’s voice. Sleep-heavy and full of dread. “Shit…”
She stumbled into view a moment later, hair a complete mess, shirt twisted sideways, collar drooping off one shoulder. Eyes wide like a deer in headlights.
“Masky–I’m so sorry,” she blurted, one hand in her hair. “I totally forgot. I didn’t mean to—shit—I’ll be ready in five, just give me a sec.”
I stared at her for a moment.
I swallowed the heat rising in my throat and nodded once. “Five minutes. I’ll wait.”
She disappeared into what I assumed was the bathroom, leaving me alone at the door with him.
I stepped back, leaning against the doorframe. BEN didn’t move.
He crossed his arms, the grin on his face spreading.
“Don’t worry,” he said smoothly. “She was safe. Warm. Comfy.”
I glanced at him, silent.
He shrugged, tossing the words like bait. “She slept here. All night. In my bed.”
I looked away, exhaled through my nose. “Congrats.”
“I mean—if you’re wondering, she’s a bit of a cuddler,” he added, leaning a little closer, voice dropping to a mocking whisper. “Real clingy once she’s out. It’s adorable.”
My jaw tensed. “I’m not wondering.”
He smiled. “Sure you’re not.”
I turned my head slowly, finally meeting his eyes. “Is this fun for you?”
BEN raised a brow. “What?”
“Getting under my skin.”
He grinned. “Glad you admit it.”
We stared at each other for a few seconds. The tension was thick enough to cut.
“I’m just looking out for her,” I said flatly. “Which is more than I can say for you.”
He laughed under his breath. “You sure that’s all you’re doing?”
Before I could answer, the door opened again, and Lenora stepped out. Hair damp, hoodie dressed, face red with embarrassment.
“I’m ready” she said quickly, eyes flicking between us.
I nodded and stepped aside. She moved to join me, and then glanced back at BEN.
Her lips moved silently, just for him: “Sorry..."
I saw it. And so did he.
I didn’t say a word as we walked down the hall together.
But every step away from that door only made the knot in my chest tighten.
Because it didn’t matter how many weapons she chose or how good she got in training.
If she kept going back to him, I didn’t know how long I could keep pretending I didn’t give a damn.
The old basement light buzzed overhead as I led her down the narrow steps.
Lenora walked behind me, still half-tucked into her hoodie like she was trying to shrink herself, damp hair sticking to her cheeks. She hadn’t said much since we left BEN’s room. Couldn’t blame her. I hadn’t exactly made things easy.
At the bottom of the stairs, I held out my arm, stopping her just before the door.
“Hold up, don’t let the door shut behind you.”
She blinked at me.
I turned the metal knob slowly, then pushed it open just enough. “If it closes all the way, it locks from the outside. No handle in here. We’ll be stuck.”
She frowned. “That’s… comforting.”
“Very."
I grabbed the heavy door wedge from the top step and shoved it into place to keep it cracked open. Then I gestured for her to follow me into the storage room where we kept the gear.
The basement smelled like dust and rust, cool air clinging to cement walls, barely touched by whatever weak heating system the mansion used. The room was wide and shadowed, lit by two flickering fluorescent tubes overhead and a workbench lamp in the corner. Racks of shelves lined the walls, full of disused supplies and locked toolboxes. But the main attraction sat dead-center: a long table with a massive wooden crate nailed open on top of it.
Weapons.
Some old. Some newer. All deadly.
I moved over and popped the lid fully open, lifting it with a creak.
“This is where we keep most of the backup gear” I said, stepping aside so she could look inside. “You’ll need to choose your main. What you’ll carry on missions. What you train with. What becomes… yours.”
Lenora stepped forward, peering into the box with wide eyes.
It was like a twisted version of a toy chest. Knives of all shapes and sizes. Hatchets. Batons. Brass knuckles. Chains. A pair of brass-plated scissors. A taser someone probably forgot about. And buried under a pile of old rags, a compact black handgun.
“Toby carries two hatchets,” I started, leaning my arms on the edge of the box. “Hoodie prefers ranged—he uses a Glock. Kate’s got a thing for knives. Me… I stick to a crowbar.”
She glanced at me.
I shrugged. “Simple. Doesn’t jam. Doesn’t run out of ammo. And when you swing it right, it makes a hell of a point.”
She let out the ghost of a laugh and returned her attention to the crate.
I watched her hands move carefully through the contents. Not the knife. Not the taser. Not even the chainsaw I expected her to pick up. She paused for a moment, dug down, and pulled something small from underneath a ratty towel.
A hammer.
Old. Heavy-looking. Not much bigger than her hand. The kind used for repairs, maybe, but with a weighted steel head that could split a skull if it landed just right.
She held it up in the dusty light, eyes narrowing.
“…This one.”
I blinked. “Seriously?”
She nodded. “It’s… right. I don’t know why.”
I studied her for a second. The way her fingers curled around the grip. The way she looked down at the hammer like she could already picture it in action. Efficient. Quiet. Brutal.
“Alright,” I said finally. “Not what I expected, but… it works. I’ll teach you how to use it properly.”
She nodded once, then stepped back, hugging the hammer to her hoodie like it was something sacred.
Silence hung in the room.
The kind of silence that presses behind your eyes. That makes your chest feel tight.
I tried to leave it alone.
I did.
But the words came out anyway—stupid, blunt, and unavoidable.
“You slept in his room.”
She froze.
Didn’t look at me.
Her voice was sharp, defensive. “Seriously?”
I lifted my head. “I just—”
“No,” she snapped, eyes flashing. “You don’t get to do that. You apologized last night. You admitted you were out of line. And now you’re doing the exact same thing again.”
I bit the inside of my cheek.
She kept going.
“I’m not your kid. I'm not your girlfriend. I’m not your business when I’m off-duty. I forgot about our meeting. Yeah, that’s on me. But where I slept? That’s not some crime against your authority.”
I nodded slowly, exhaling.
“You’re right.”
She blinked.
I looked down at the floor, jaw tight. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Again.”
She stared at me, mouth tight. The hammer still clutched to her chest like a shield.
And then—
Click.
The door slammed shut.
Both of us froze.
“What the fuck,” she said, spinning.
I ran back to it, trying to open it. “Shit—shit, shit—”
Nothing. No give.
I hit the door with the side of my fist. “It locked.”
“No shit.”
“I told you not to let it close—!”
“You wedged it!”
“I thought it would hold!”
Lenora groaned and turned around, dragging both hands down her face. “This is the last thing I fucking needed.”
She dropped onto the nearest wooden crate, resting her elbows on her knees. “Stuck. In a basement. With you.”
I swallowed that one.
Yeah. I deserved it.
I sat down across from her, keeping a careful distance. Tried to focus on the sound of the lights buzzing overhead. Not the tension sitting in the air between us like smoke.
A minute passed.
Maybe more.
I rubbed my palms together. “You know… for what it’s worth… I wasn’t trying to interrogate you.”
She didn’t answer.
“I just… worry. Maybe too much.”
Still nothing.
So I kept going.
“I’ve seen people come and go. People who think they’re ready for this life and then burn out. Or worse. You show up—new, smart, stubborn as hell—and I start to think, ‘maybe she’ll actually make it.’ And then I see you getting dragged into his world I just…”
She finally looked at me.
“…I panic.”
Lenora let out a slow breath. “You think he’s bad for me. Yeah, I get it. You've told me a million times now.”
“I know he is.”
“But you don’t think I can handle it.”
I paused. “I think… you don’t need that kind of distraction.”
She studied me for a long second.
“…Is that the only reason?”
I met her eyes.
There it was, the crack in the armor. The question beneath the question.
I swallowed.
“…No.”
Lenora didn’t move. But something shifted in her expression, something softer, almost curious.
We sat in that silence.
She leaned back slightly against the wall, gaze still fixed on mine.
she murmured, “We just slept. That’s it.”
I blinked.
“Nothing happened.”
My throat tightened. “You don't have to tell me this.”
Her voice dropped. “Not for your peace of mind. Just so you don’t keep assuming things.”
Another beat of silence.
I rubbed the back of my neck.
“You ever been stuck in a basement with someone you pissed off?” I asked, trying to keep my tone light.
She gave a small smile. “Well. Now I have.”
And somehow, that made the air feel less heavy.
She looked down at the hammer in her hands, then up at me again.
“I still think you’re a pain in the ass." she said.
“Fair.”
“But maybe… not just a pain in the ass.”
My lips twitched. “Progress.”
She leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes.
I watched her in the dim light. And I felt that same emotion I did when she pinned me to the ground.
I didn’t mean to stare. I didn’t even realize I was staring. Not at first.
But she looked… still. Quiet in a way I hadn’t seen before.
Her face was softer when she wasn’t talking. Shadows from the ceiling light danced lightly under her eyes, her cheekbones. A loose strand of hair had fallen over her jaw, and she didn’t bother brushing it away. Her lips were slightly parted, her chest rising and falling in an even rhythm, like the tension that had filled her earlier was starting to wear off.
And for some reason, I just kept watching.
And watching.
And—
Her eyes opened.
“What?” she said, voice rough from silence, brow furrowed faintly. “Why are you staring at me like that?”
Shit.
I blinked and quickly looked away, reaching up to rub the side of my jaw like it would cover the heat rising behind the mask.
“I wasn’t” I muttered, too low.
“Masky.” Her voice was firmer now.
“I wasn’t,” I said again, sharper this time. “I was just… thinking.”
She held my gaze a second longer than she needed to. Then leaned back and exhaled slowly.
“Right,” she murmured, and turned her face away.
The quiet came back. But this time it sat heavier in the room.
Eventually, she pushed herself up with a sigh and walked over to the door. She slammed the side of her fist against it.
Nothing.
“We’re still locked in” she muttered.
“Yeah.”
Lenora stepped back, shoulders tensing, then reached into her hoodie pocket and pulled out her phone.
“I’ll try texting BEN” she said flatly.
That hit harder than I wanted it to.
Of course.
She didn’t even hesitate.
She typed something quickly, screen lighting up her face, but her expression didn’t change—just focused. Frustrated.
I didn’t say anything.
She had his number saved. She’d messaged him without thinking.
I tried not to react. Not externally.
Still, a part of me went quiet in a way that had nothing to do with the basement.
She frowned. “No service.”
I just nodded once.
She moved toward the far wall, lifting her phone up, angling it this way and that, walking the edges of the basement like she could will the signal into existence.
“I don’t get it,” she muttered. “I had one bar upstairs. How the hell are we this far underground?”
“Slender keeps the basement sealed,” I said after a second. “Soundproofed, too. Cell signals don’t reach.”
“Of course they don’t...” she whispered, more to herself than me. Her hand dropped to her side, still holding the phone.
She leaned her forehead against the wall for a moment, silent.
I watched her. Quietly.
She wasn’t mad anymore. Just tired. Worn down.
“Try again later,” I said, voice low. “You might get a bar.”
She didn’t answer.
And I didn’t push.
But even in the dim, with nothing but the hum of the lights, she still looked—God, I hated this—but she looked beautiful. Worn, frustrated, stuck in a shitty basement with me… and beautiful.
And I had no goddamn right to be thinking that.
Not when she was texting someone else for help. Not when I’d already been on her shit list for pushing too far, too often. Not when I'd promised myself I’d leave it alone.
So I stayed seated.
And said nothing.
It took a while before she spoke again.
She’d given up on the phone, slid down the wall until she was sitting again, a few feet from where I was. Her knees were drawn up now, arms looped around them, that little hammer still resting between her feet like she couldn’t decide whether to hold it or forget it existed.
“I didn’t think you’d be this quiet,” she said suddenly, her voice low. “You usually have some bullshit to throw at me.”
I glanced over.
She wasn’t looking at me when she said it. Just staring straight ahead, chin resting on her arms.
“You look tired,” I muttered. “Didn’t feel like adding to it.”
That made her laugh. Just a little.
“I guess that’s your way of being considerate.”
I didn’t answer right away.
She looked at me now. Her head tilted slightly. “You're always like this? Or is this just the ‘locked in a basement with someone you pissed off’ version of you?”
I exhaled. “I’m not trying to be an ass today. Believe it or not.”
“Hm.” Her eyes didn’t leave mine. “I almost believe that.”
We stayed like that a beat longer than we should’ve—until she blinked and looked down again.
“You did good.” I said, quieter. “At training.”
“Oh?”
I nodded, thumb brushing the edge of my glove. “Your stance was off the first few minutes, but you corrected it on your own. Didn’t need Toby to tell you.”
Lenora looked away, but there was a flicker of a smile tugging at her mouth. “Thanks.”
I hesitated.
“But…” she said, tilting her head. “You looked like you were ready to kill Toby when he kissed me.”
My spine tensed a little. “Yeah.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” I repeated, a little more clipped. “Because he wasn’t supposed to do that. He was supposed to train you,” I snapped, before I could stop myself. “Not flirt. Not get distracted. Not use that time to pull shit like that.”
She raised her eyebrows.
“Right. At him,” she said, squinting at me like she was trying to decode something deeper. “For not being professional.”
“Exactly.”
She studied me for a second.
And I looked away.
The air felt tighter now.
I hated that she brought it up. Hated even more that I couldn’t get the image out of my head. Toby’s stupid hands on her waist, the way he smiled at her, the sound of her startled breath when he leaned in.
“I didn’t ask him to do it” she said quietly.
I looked back.
There was something honest in her voice.
“I believe you.”
She gave a slight nod. “You looked like you were about to throw him off the roof.”
I let out a breath through my nose. “Almost did.”
That made her smile again. And this time, it reached her eyes.
A beat passed.
She tilted her head. “You know… you’re not as stuck-up as I thought.”
I blinked. “Stuck-up?”
“Yeah. When I first got here, you were all gruff and bossy. Big scary training guy.”
“And now?”
She looked at me for a moment, then shrugged one shoulder. “You’re alright.”
“High praise,” I muttered, but something about it settled oddly in my chest.
“I mean it,” she added. “You… you’re actually kind of soft. Under the mask and the yelling.”
That made me snort. “Don’t tell the others. I’ve got a reputation.” He rolled his eyes.
Her lips curled up again. “Your secret’s safe with me.”
And for a moment, it didn’t feel so bad, being stuck in a basement with her.
Didn’t feel bad at all.
~TOBY’S POV~
Tic.
My jaw jerked. Sharp. Left side. I cracked my neck and sniffed once—then again, harder. The itch behind my eye was crawling again. Not real, I knew it wasn’t real, but I scratched at my temple like it might shut the buzzing up. It didn’t.
The voice was muttering again. “Stupid. Shouldn't’ve touched her. She felt you. Pervert.”
I clenched my fist under the table. My glove creaked.
I hated when it talked like that.
I sat with Jeff, EJ, and Kate around the kitchen table. The place was louder than it needed to be. Clockwork was laughing about something Jane said. Jeff was tossing grapes into Nina’s glass of water like a dick. I was trying to eat a sandwich, but my brain wouldn't let me. Every time I blinked, I saw her. Floating in the water. That tiny, surprised gasp when my hand brushed her ass. The way she’d instinctively held on tighter.
The way she felt me.
I twitched. Shoulders spasming slightly. “Disgusting. Dis-gusting.”
I took a bite of sandwich just to drown the thought. Chewed. Swallowed. Didn’t taste anything.
"Yo, you're quiet today," Jeff muttered around a bite of chips, nudging my arm. “Still sulking 'cause BEN kicked your ass?”
My head jerked sideways. Twitch. My tongue clicked. "H-H-He jumped m-me, f-f-fucking a-ambushed me. C-Coward move."
Jeff snorted.
But I felt it again. That burst of heat in my chest. Embarrassment, not from the fight—but from the look Lenora gave me when she backed away. Her face. The flush on her cheeks. She knew what she felt. I didn’t mean for her to. Didn’t mean to get hard. My body just—
Tick. Tongue click. Head twitch. “You’re broken.”
I rubbed my neck hard enough to Just that buzzing under the skin. That scream inside my skull.
Then the door opened, and in walked BEN.
His hoodie was crooked, eyes bloodshot but sharp as hell. He scanned the room fast—too fast—like he was counting. One. Two. Three.
His gaze hit me. Mine hit back.
No words. Just a silent, narrowed look between us. Full of unfinished business.
Eyeless Jack broke it by clearing his throat.
"Anyone seen Masky or Lenora?"
BEN was still by the fridge. He didn’t turn around.
“She was supposed to be with him earlier,” BEN muttered, digging around for something. “He was taking her to choose her proxy weapon. They went down to the basement this morning.”
Kate looked at the clock on the wall. “That was hours ago.”
BEN closed the fridge harder than necessary. “I know.”
I straightened up slightly. My shoulders rolled.
“They p-probably got s-s-stuck,” I said, flicking the air beside my ear as if batting a fly. "B-B-Basement d-d-door gets jammed if it c-closes all the way. L-L-Locked me in there once f-f-for three hours."
BEN stilled.
“Oh,” Jane said with a frown, “wait, really?”
“Y-Yeah. F-Fucking r-really,” I added, eyes flicking to BEN again.
BEN looked like he wanted to teleport straight through the floor.
He turned around, his expression unreadable but clearly annoyed. "Great."
Jeff cackled. “Romantic basement getaway, huh?”
BEN didn’t laugh.
Neither did I.
Because now I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Lenora. With Masky. Alone. For hours. Masky who already looked at her like she was some precious little thing he wanted to keep to himself.
A burning hit my gut. Not just jealousy.
That sinking realization: she was probably already over the pool. Over me. Over that fucking kiss I never should’ve tried.
And now she was with him.
BEN pushed away from the fridge with a sigh. “I’m going down there.”
“You’re not gonna bust the door off, are you?” Clockwork asked, raising a brow.
“If I fucking have to,” he muttered, already walking.
I stayed seated. Twitching.
Something was gnawing at my throat. Something that felt a hell of a lot like regret.
~LENORA’S POV~
I sat on the cold basement floor, my back against the concrete wall, eyes on the single weak bulb swinging above us. It buzzed in time with my thoughts, which were now slower, quieter.
His words from earlier still hung in my chest like dust in the air.
I turned my hammer over in my hands again, letting the metal head catch the low light. It wasn’t heavy, but it felt solid. Right. Mine. Masky had shown me the whole box of weapons and never once pushed me to choose something else. He trusted me to choose for myself. That meant something, didn’t it?
He sat across from me, hunched forward with his elbows on his knees, gloves hanging from his fingers, mask tilted just slightly up like he wasn’t even aware of it anymore. There was something… softer in his face now. His jaw wasn’t so tight. His eyes weren’t so guarded.
I couldn’t help but look. He wasn’t as scary as I thought he was. He wasn’t cold. He wasn’t heartless.
“Did you mean it?” I asked before I could stop myself.
His brow lifted. “Mean what?”
“That I’m good. At this proxy thing.”
He didn’t even hesitate.
“Yeah. you’ve got potential. And you don’t quit. That matters more than half the shit the others pretend to care about.”
My chest tightened. It felt like validation. Like I’d been floating in the dark and someone just reached in and found me.
“I didn’t think you saw me that way,” I said quietly.
“I didn’t think you gave a shit what I thought,” he replied.
I smiled. “Maybe I didn’t at first.”
He didn’t smile back, but something shifted in his eyes.
I wanted to say more. I wasn’t sure what. Maybe nothing.
But then—thud.
I jumped at the sound. My head snapped toward the basement door.
Another thud. This one harder. Wood straining.
Masky was already on his feet.
“Finally,” he muttered, crossing toward the stairs. “Took ‘em long enough.”
I followed, heart picking up pace. The sound of muffled voices filtered through the door.
Then—
“Lenora? You in there?”
BEN.
My pulse skipped.
“Yeah! I’m here!” I called out.
Another hard thud on the door. Masky backed up and glanced toward me with a half-smirk. “Well, this should be interesting.”
“You good?” BEN again. His voice was sharp, tight. A bit too loud.
“I’m fine!” I shouted back. “Just stuck!”
Another hit. Then a grumbled curse from the other side, and Jeff’s unmistakable laughter.
“This is some real horror movie shit,” Jeff said. “Hey Masky, you two decent in there? Should we wait ten more minutes?”
“Jeff, shut the fuck up!” BEN snapped.
I saw Masky stiffen beside me, and something twisted in my stomach. I didn’t need to see BEN’s face to know he was fuming. I could feel it through the goddamn door.
“You okay, Lenora?” Eyeless Jack called more calmly. “You hurt?”
“No, I’m alright! We just got locked in when the door shut all the way.”
More muttering. More banging. The hinges rattled.
Masky crossed his arms. “They’re gonna break the fucking thing, aren’t they?”
I swallowed, lips pressed tight. Something about BEN’s voice… it was too sharp. Too clipped.
He was pissed. Jealous.
I sighed quietly and stepped back from the stairs, arms folding across my chest.
Another bang—and finally, a loud CRACK. The door burst inward an inch, then two. Light poured through, dust kicking up.
BEN’s figure filled the doorway first. Shoulders tense, eyes sweeping the space—and locking onto me.
His expression faltered for half a second. Then turned unreadable.
I stepped forward.
“We’re okay,” I said again, softer now. “Just got trapped.”
BEN’s gaze flicked to Masky. And stayed there.
“Right,” he muttered. “You and him.”
My stomach clenched. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Jeff squeezed in behind him, grinning like an asshole. “Yo, so nothing happened down here? Not even a kiss? Not even, like, a little—?”
BEN shoved him backward. “Go away.”
Masky exhaled and moved past me up the stairs. “I’m not doing this shit right now.”
BEN moved just enough to let him pass, but they didn’t look at each other. Didn’t say a word. The tension between them crackled.
I followed behind in silence.
When I passed BEN, he leaned slightly towards me and grabbed my arm and said, voice low and rough, “You could’ve texted me.”
“I tried,” I said. “There was no service.”
He didn’t respond.
But I could feel the heat of his eyes on me as I walked back into the light. Like a storm brewing behind my back.
And I wasn’t sure what scared me more — the fight waiting ahead, or the fact that a part of me… didn’t want Masky to be a stranger anymore.
The living room was dimly lit, like it always was after lunch. Jeff was stretched across the carpet with his feet up on the coffee table like he owned the place. Nina and Jane were bickering softly on the armchairs. Eyeless Jack sat quietly near the corner, his eyes flicking across the room like he was reading it like a book.
I sank into the couch beside BEN. Not too close. But not far either. Just enough space between us for him to notice.
He didn’t look at me at first, just leaned back and stretched an arm behind me along the couch.
I felt his fingers ghost across the back of my neck.
He still hadn’t said anything since lunch. Not about the basement. Not about Masky.
But I could feel it. Tension rolling off him in slow, quiet waves.
I nudged his thigh with mine, keeping my voice low. “You’re mad.”
His eyes flicked to me, his mouth a thin, annoyed line. “I’m not.”
“BEN.”
“I’m not mad,” he repeated, and then after a beat, added bitterly, “Just… hilarious how you and Masky keep ending up like this.”
I let out a breath, trying not to roll my eyes. “Seriously? You think I planned that?”
His gaze dropped to my lips, lingered there a second too long before he looked away.
“I think he’s into you,” he muttered.
I froze.
I glanced around—the others were either busy arguing or playing something on the TV, but I could feel Jack’s eyeless gaze shift toward us briefly, quiet and observant.
“You think everyone’s into me,” I whispered back, leaning a little closer. “You punched Toby because of it.”
“He was groping you in a pool.”
BEN scoffed under his breath, but his fingers pressed just a little more firmly into the back of my neck, trailing idly along my skin now. Possessive.
I turned slightly toward him, lowering my voice more. “Nothing happened in the basement.”
His jaw flexed.
“I know what you’re thinking,” I said, softer now, “but it didn’t. We talked. That’s it.”
He didn’t say anything. He just looked at me like he wanted to pull me into him and disappear into the couch. Like the fact that I was touching anyone else’s airspace made his blood simmer.
I could feel his knee lean harder into mine now. His arm dropped from the couch to the back of my shoulders, pulling me slightly closer—just enough for my hip to press against his thigh.
“BEN,” I warned under my breath. “They’re watching.”
“Let them.”
I tried not to react, but I felt the heat rush up the back of my neck anyway.
Across from us, Jeff narrowed his eyes and nudged Nina. “Look at lover boy getting handsy,” he muttered loud enough to carry.
Nina snorted, leaning toward Jane and whispering something I couldn’t catch, but I could feel their glances burn into the side of my face.
I tried to pull back slightly but BEN’s hand on my shoulder tightened.
“What are you doing??" I whispered through my teeth.
“Just making it clear,” he said, voice dipped low and smug now. “Since apparently some people don’t get the hint.”
I raised a brow at him. “What hint?”
His eyes dropped to my lips again. His voice dropped another octave.
“That you’re mine.”
My heart stopped for half a second, heat flushing through me all over again.
I should’ve snapped back. Told him off. He wasn’t allowed to claim me like that. He wasn’t my boyfriend. We weren’t together. It was complicated and weird and messy—
But I didn’t move.
Because even though his jealousy burned, even though it was possessive and toxic and insane, it was also the same voice that had whispered “stay with me” when I laid next to him last night. The same hands that had gripped my waist with restraint, shaking against me. The same breath I’d felt against my throat when he nearly lost control.
I swallowed hard. “You’re jealous over nothing.”
“I’m jealous because you’re not nothing.”
I stared at him.
He looked like he regretted saying that the second the words left his mouth—but he didn’t take them back.
“BEN” I started, but he was already shifting closer, his thigh firmly pressed against mine now, hand on my waist like he was just waiting for an excuse to pull me onto his lap and not give a damn who saw.
Eyeless Jack cleared his throat. Loudly.
We both jumped slightly and looked over.
His voice was calm. Flat. “You two need a room?”
BEN flipped him off without a word.
I exhaled, trying to hide the way my face was burning. But then I felt BEN’s hand again—soft now, his thumb tracing small circles over my side.
And in the background, I could still hear Jeff muttering, “God, just fuck already.”
I didn’t need to turn to know BEN was smirking.
But all I could think about… was that this whole thing was turning into something else.
Maybe that was more dangerous than anything else in this house.
~BEN’s POV~
I don’t even remember what level I was on. I had took out my DS from my pocket and started playing with her close next to me.
She was laughing, like, really laughing—and all I could do was stare at her out of the corner of my eye, pretending I was still focused on the screen in my hands.
I wasn't.
The game was background noise. Just button mashing and sound effects, nothing that actually registered. Her laugh had taken over the room. It was light, unfiltered, and it hit somewhere in my chest I didn’t expect. Sharp and soft all at once. I shifted, slightly uncomfortable—not because of her, but because of whatever the hell was going on inside me.
She nudged me with her shoulder. “You're gonna win or what, pro gamer?”
I scoffed. “I’m letting the AI win so they don’t uninstall me out of spite.”
She snorted. God. That sound. I don’t know what it was about her today, but she was just… different. Or maybe I was different. Maybe something was starting to warp under my skin and I hated how much I didn’t hate it.
I let my eyes flick over to her for real this time. She was leaned over, watching the game screen in my lap like it was the most interesting thing in the world. Her lips were parted slightly, eyes narrowed with focus, her hair falling over her cheek just enough to brush her shoulder.
My throat went dry.
The usual wave of smug satisfaction—yeah, she’s into you, keep the game going—didn’t come. Instead, there was this tight feeling in my gut. Something I didn’t know how to name without feeling like I’d start glitching out mid-sentence.
I glanced back at the screen, pressing random buttons just to look busy. “You’re the worst backseat gamer I’ve ever met.”
“Mm. You love it.” she said casually, teasing, resting her on my shoulder.
I didn’t answer.
Because I did.
I really, really did.
I loved her leaning on me like this. I loved her watching my hands while I played. I loved the way she was comfortable next to me, like this was normal.
And I hated how warm that made my chest feel.
I pressed a button too fast, made the game glitch a little, and cursed under my breath. She didn’t even notice. She was watching me, now. Not the screen.
“What?” I asked, trying to keep my voice flat. Casual.
“Nothing.” She smiled like she saw right through me. “You’re twitchier than usual.”
“Maybe you’re just distracting.”
That came out too fast.
She raised an eyebrow.
Fuck.
I turned my head away, pretending I had to focus on the dialogue in-game, but the text just blurred on the screen. My heart was beating faster than it should’ve been. I didn’t get nervous. Not around anyone.
So why the hell was I like this now?
I didn’t get nervous. I didn’t feel soft. I didn’t stare at girls like a loser in a rom-com just because they smiled at me.
Except, apparently, I did.
Now.
With her.
Lenora reached over and poked my side. “You okay?”
“Fine,” I said quickly. Too quickly. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
She gave me this amused look, like she was waiting for me to say something real.
I couldn’t.
Instead, I cleared my throat and shoved the DS into her lap.
“Here. You try.”
She blinked. “You’re giving me the controls?”
“Don’t make it weird.”
She laughed again, scooting closer. My breath hitched, and I hoped she didn’t notice. I kept my eyes on the screen, but every fiber of me was buzzing like static.
I wasn’t used to this.
This feeling? The quiet one creeping up behind my ribs? That low, anxious pull in my stomach when she smiled? The heat that flushed up the back of my neck when she leaned closer?
That wasn’t a game.
That was something else.
And I wasn’t ready to admit it.
Not even to myself.
~LENORA's POV~
I was lying in bed, lights off except for the soft blue hue of my phone screen. The room was quiet. But my brain was buzzing.
I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about last night. His body on mine, how close we were, the way he touched me. The way he looked at me—like he wanted to devour me. The way he had moved his hips and against mine until he—
The buzz of my phone jolted me from my spiral.
BEN:
u still up or do u sleep like a granny
I smirked.
Me:
depends. is a granny someone who gets dry-humped by a smug gamer boy at 3am?
Three dots. Then:
BEN:
...okay. damn.
u tryna give me a heart attack before i even say hi?
bold of u to bring that up when u were the one moaning on my bed
My heart stuttered. I rolled over, biting back a grin.
Me:
i wasn’t moaning.
BEN:
liar. i had to literally bite my tongue not to lose it when u did that little whimper thing
u know what i’m talking about too. don’t play dumb.
He was relentless. I could feel my skin heating up.
BEN:
u in bed?
Me:
...maybe.
BEN:
send proof
I hesitated for a second, heart thumping, then angled the camera. My bare legs under the blanket, hoodie riding high on my thighs. My face was partially in the shot. It was casual, just a selfie...Maybe not.
Sent.
BEN:
holy hell.
do u want me to suffer or
hang on.
Another message bubble. Then a photo.
He was shirtless now. Lying in bed with tousled hair, one hand behind his head, the other holding the phone. His sweatpants sat low on his hips, and the fabric was… very obviously strained.
BEN:
oops. guess i shouldn’t wear thin pants around u, huh?
Me:
“oops” my ass
BEN:
nah, ur ass is a different problem. one that haunts me fr
u wanna see what u do to me? bc this is ur fault.
Another photo. Closer. He knew what he was doing. The outline beneath his pants was hard to ignore. Very hard.
Me:
you’re so full of yourself.
BEN:
nah, i’m just full of thoughts about u.
u gonna fix what u started or leave me suffering like this
My breath hitched. I grabbed the blanket, pulling it over my face for a second like that could cool me down.
Me:
fix it how?
BEN:
idk. surprise me. send me something that’ll ruin my night in the best way.
I hesitated. Then slowly, slowly lifted my hoodie just a bit, just enough that he could see my under-boob. My face was flushed and my hand was grazing just under the hem of my skirt. Teasing.
Sent.
He didn’t reply for a few seconds.
BEN:
fuck.
you’re a menace.
a literal menace. how tf am i supposed to sleep now.
also. ur lips look stupid good. not saying why.
unless u want me to.
Me:
you’re being way too nice. what happened to smug BEN?
BEN:
he’s still here. he’s just also kinda losing his mind over u rn
and not just the usual way either
I paused.
Me:
what does that mean?
Three dots. Then nothing. Then again:
BEN:
nothing. forget it. i’m just tired or whatever.
gn, nora.
seriously. gn.
I stared at the screen. Not smiling this time, just… a little breathless.
And, stupidly, wishing he hadn’t taken it back.
~BEN’s POV~
I’m toast. Completely fried.
I told her goodnight, put my phone down like a normal person, rolled onto my back, and figured I’d stare at the ceiling for ten minutes max before knocking out. But that was, what, an hour ago? Two? And I’m still here. Wide awake. Absolutely wrecked. And it’s all because of her.
Lenora.
Jesus.
That picture she sent… it was barely anything. Just a glimpse. A flash of skin and the curve of her underboob, framed by her hoodie like it was no big deal. But it was a big deal. A huge one. Because now I can’t think straight. I can’t breathe right. I’m sweating under this damn blanket, and I haven’t moved in like twenty minutes except to shift around and try to deal with the way I’m still hard.
I roll onto my side and groan into my pillow, like maybe if I bury my face deep enough, I can suffocate the thoughts running wild in my head. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t work.
All I can think about is how she looked the last time she was under me. Her fingers curling into my shirt. The way she gasped when I kissed down her throat. The way she arched when I pressed my hips into hers and just—God. I came in my damn pants like an idiot. It was humiliating. And kinda amazing. And now that I’ve seen her like that—heard her teasing voice over text, saw the way she smirked at the camera like she knew exactly what she was doing—I’m wrecked all over again.
I shift again. It's getting worse. Everything’s too tight and too hot and I can’t stop feeling her. Remembering every little sound, every brush of her thigh, the way her skin felt under my fingers. My hand hovers on my crotch before it drifts lower under my underwear.
I don't even fight it.
My fingers twitch. I let out a shaky breath.
I close my eyes and picture her, flushed and breathless beneath me, whispering my name in that voice that messes me up more than anything. I can practically feel her hands dragging down my chest, guiding me, confident in ways I’m definitely not.
I start whimpering her name quietly.
Everything's a blur of heat and pressure and need. My body moves on instinct, my hand slipping up and down my hardened cock as she fills my mind, chasing that high I didn't really get to enjoy the first time because I was too busy freaking out about finishing in my pants. Not that it stopped her from looking at me like I was the most interesting thing in the world.
God, she’s gonna kill me. She’s actually gonna be the end of me. And I think I’d let her.
I bury my head deeper into the pillow next to me, one hand clutching the blanket, the other jerking myself off like a desperate loser.
I bite back a sound—barely. Fuck. I wanted her so bad. All of her.
I quicken my pace, going faster as I keep thinking how tight she must feel inside, and how many sounds she could make that I haven't heard yet. How badly I wanted to bury my cock deep inside her and make her scream my name, so much that it would be the only thing she would say.
How much I wanted to fill her up with me.
For a second, all I can feel is her name in my throat, as I feel myself getting closer and closer until I cum in my own hand, whimpering her name as I do so.
I look at my sticky hand and then look at my ceiling, still breathless.
"I'm such a pathetic loser."
After going to my bathroom and cleaning myself, I stumble right back into my bed.
I cover my face with both hands and groan. “You’re unreal,” I mumble into the dark, like she can hear me through the walls or something. “And I’m so screwed.”
Still—my lips tug into a stupid, helpless smile. Because if she sends another one tomorrow? If she shows up at my door again in that hoodie and nothing underneath?
I know damn well I’m not saying no.
Chapter Text
I dropped the hammer beside my bed with a satisfying thunk, dragging the hem of my tank top up and over my head, sweat clinging to my skin. My arms were aching, but in the good kind of way — the kind that made me feel like maybe I wasn’t just barely scraping by anymore. Kate had gone extra hard on me this morning, yelling at me to stop pulling my swings, while Masky just stood there watching like some stern judge at a gladiator match. Not that I minded the attention. The hammer felt right in my hands now like an extension of my mood.
I slipped into my short pink skirt and wiped my face on a towel. My black sleeveless top was tight and simple, easy to move in. I pulled my boots on and opened the window just a crack. The air outside was cold for early morning, and it rolled over my bare arms and legs, sharp and refreshing.
I was in a good mood for once. Actually good.
A thought suddenly came over me.
Toby.
I hadn’t seen him since that godawful fight with BEN by the pool. That whole thing was a blur of yelling and wet footsteps and so much tension it felt like my skin was buzzing. Toby... he looked wrecked that day. I hadn't talked to him since. He hadn’t come to training this morning. He hadn't texted, not that he could. I didn’t even have his number. BEN was the only one who insisted I take his, like the cocky bastard he is. Of course he’d be the only one with a direct line.
I decided to head out. The woods were calling me, quiet and calm, with none of the chaos from inside the mansion. The others would probably be in the living room soon, pretending not to be nosy about each other's lives.
Leaves crunched under my boots as I wandered deeper. The cold kissed my thighs, slid down the back of my neck. I liked it. It felt like a reset button. The trees stretched wide overhead, filtering the light, and I took a long breath in. It smelled like moss and pine and wet earth, that forest smell that sinks into your bones if you let it.
I didn’t notice the rustling at first. I paused, looked around. Nothing.
Probably a squirrel, I thought.
But then, before I could turn or brace or even finish the thought, something slammed me back into a tree.
“Holy shit—!” I gasped, heart leaping into my throat as my arms were pinned hard behind me, wrists trapped in a firm, shaking grip. A weight pressed into me, warm and twitchy and undeniably human.
My chest hit bark. Breath hot against my neck. Fingers around my arms. Something metallic scraped against the bark beside my head — a hatchet.
“T-Told you… you g-gotta s-s-stop lettin’ your g-guard d-d-down,” came a voice, too close, too damn familiar. Low, cracked, and laced with a laugh that didn’t quite reach ease.
“Toby?!” I half-whispered, half-choked. “You scared the shit out of me!”
His chest shook behind me, part laughter, part something else. I tried to move my wrists, but his grip didn’t budge. His body was all over mine, trembling slightly, like he was buzzing on adrenaline or maybe something deeper.
“W-What if I wasn’t m-m-me?” he muttered, voice rasping against my ear. “W-What if it w-w-was s-someone else w-who f-f-found you o-out here? You’d be f-fucked.”
I shivered.
“You didn’t have to tackle me into a damn tree!” I snapped, breathless, trying again to squirm, and failing.
His hatchet clunked to the ground, and one hand slid lower.
“I t-tried-” he said, voice strained. “I f-fuckin’ t-tried not to t-think a-about it. N-Not to think a-about y-you.”
My heart skipped.
“Toby, what—?”
“The p-pool,” he cut me off, breath hitching. “Y-You were l-laughin’, lookin’ l-like... s-shit. Like a f-fuckin’ d-dream.”
His forehead pressed between my shoulder blades, breath heavy.
“I got h-hard. R-Right there.” he said. “Y-Your fuckin’ s-s-skin... you w-were so s-soft, and your v-voice... I c-can’t get it o-out of m-m-my head.”
The words hit me like a punch to the chest.
“I t-t-try to n-not to t-think about your l-legs, or your s-skirt, or how y-you look at m-me s-sometimes. But I c-can’t. I c-can’t, I can’t—I don’t want to anymore.”
His voice cracked again, and suddenly, one of his hands slid down. My eyes widened as it landed on my thigh, just below the hem of my skirt. He rubbed slow circles there, warm fingers grazing up towards my ass.
I gasped, barely audible, but I felt the shiver travel through my entire body.
Toby noticed.
He smirked. Then laughed under his breath, low and wicked.
“Y-You liked t-that...” he said. “Y-you’re makin’ n-noises.”
“I—I am not—” I started, heat blooming violently across my cheeks.
“You j-just d-did,” he said smugly, lips brushing my ear. “L-Little w-whimper. C-Cute.”
His hand didn’t stop. His fingers roamed a little higher, and my breathing sped up, helpless against the spiral.
"S-Someone might be out there....!” I whispered, voice shaking.
“L-Let ‘em,” Toby said. “L-Let Masky see. Let B-BEN see. Maybe t-then they’ll f-f-finally get it.”
His hand drifted just beneath my skirt, and I whimpered again, squeezing my eyes shut.
“Toby…!”
The weight of him behind me made every nerve in my body scream for more and panic at the same time.
“You f-feel so fuckin’ g-good,” he muttered, fingers curling gently into my thigh. “A-And I'm n-not even i-inside you y-yet. Y-You don’t know w-what you’re d-doin’ to m-me.”
His voice was in my ear, shaky and hungry. His fingers slid over my underwear, slowly, like he was trying to memorize every inch. The cold air brushed against the spots he touched, like my skin was waiting to be claimed by something warmer.
I hated how I didn’t want to push him off.
I hated how my body leaned into him like muscle memory. Like it had made the decision before my brain caught up.
I was breathless, trembling, my legs refusing to decide if they wanted to run or press back into him harder.
“Y-You drive m-me fuckin’ c-crazy,” he whispered. “E-every time I look a-at you... I-I can’t think s-straight.”
His hand drifted higher. A breeze slipped beneath the fabric and kissed the back of my thighs, but it wasn’t the cold that made me shiver, it was his fingers tracing the edge of my underwear.
I whimpered. Louder this time.
I didn’t mean to.
Toby stilled, his breath hitching against my neck like the sound had shot straight through him.
“Y-You’re... f-f-fuck,” he muttered. “You’re m-makin’ those l-little n-n-noises again…”
I should’ve stopped him.
I should’ve said something.
But my mouth felt numb, like the only thing I remembered how to do was breathe — and barely that. My thighs tensed, instinctively trying to press together, but his body was in the way.
“I-I think about y-you like t-this,” he murmured, almost confessing. “A-Alone. S-Shaking. Wanting m-me. F-fuck. I-I think a-about you n-n-needing me.”
The hand between my thighs started to move again, still over my underwear. He was exploring me. His other hand still pinned my wrists behind me, like he was holding me in place so I wouldn’t disappear on him.
My heart pounded.
Every part of me was on fire.
I wasn’t supposed to like this. Not from him. Not like this.
But I did.
And he knew it.
“I s-s-shouldn’t be d-doin’ this,” he muttered against my neck. “S-Should’ve stayed a-away."
I whimpered again, legs wobbling like they might give out. His hand drifted deeper, under my underwear now, and—
I gasped. I couldn’t help it.
He moaned at the sound, quiet and desperate, like he needed to hear it more than anything.
“Y-You feel s-so fuckin’ soft,” he whispered, voice cracking. “S-So fuckin' w-w-wet... Y-you’re gonna b-break me, Lenora…”
Maybe I already had. Because I wasn’t saying no.
Because I wanted more.
His breath hit my cheek, fast and uneven, his mouth twitching under his mouthguard as his shoulders jerked again. His grip tightened just slightly on my wrists.
“I c-cant,” he whispered, voice raw. “I c-cant i-ignore it. T-The way you l-look at m-me. Th-the way y-you... f-fucking s-smell.”
I felt the word smell sink into my gut like a stone. It shouldn’t have sounded so needy.
He looked at me then, his eyes visible behind the messy hair, pupils wide, full of heat and something else I couldn’t name. He took a shaky breath, his forehead resting briefly against mine.
“Every time I c-close my eyes, it’s you. E-Every time I hear your voice I c-can’t think. I c-can’t sleep. And I—I hate t-that BEN got there f-first.”
I flinched slightly at the mention of BEN, but Toby only pressed closer.
“I s-saw how he l-looked at y-you, l-like you’re s-some kind of plaything. Like he’s d-doing you a f-favor by giving you attention.”
It was like he couldn’t help himself.
“You don’t l-look at m-me the way y-you look at h-him,” he said, voice barely above a whisper. “I s-see it. I feel it.”
“Toby—” I started again, voice weak.
“T-Tell me t-to stop,” he said immediately. “If y-you want me t-yo. S-Say it, and I’ll—” His throat bobbed. “I’ll b-back o-off. I-I swear.”
I didn’t speak.
He searched my eyes, desperate, frantic. “I’m n-not like h-him. I’m not g-good at g-games. I d-don’t do f-flirting. I d-don’t know h-how to be c-cool or s-s-smooth, or—fuck, I d-don’t even k-know how to t-talk h-half the t-time without c-choking on i-it.”
His fingers moved between my legs, trembling, awkward, like he was trying to learn me as quickly as he could before someone took the chance away.
“But I c-care,” he breathed, his hand still working between my thighs. “I c-care a-about you. And I c-can’t stand t-the thought of t-them getting y-you f-first.”
A moan slipped from my lips before I could stop it.
It hung between us like a confession.
Toby’s breath stuttered, and then his voice cracked again. “I-I knew it,” he said softly. “You’re n-not s-scared. Y-You’re not t-trying to s-s-stop me. You w-want this.”
My eyes fluttered shut, and my legs shook.
He thrust two fingers inside me with a desperate sort of reverence, like he couldn’t believe I was letting him. My whole body arched and I let out a loud moan. My insides felt tight against his fingers, who claimed me so desperately.
His voice broke again. “S-Shit—you’re s-so w-warm, L-Lenora. So w-wet. F-For m-me?”
I gasped, my fingers curling behind my back, digging into my own fists to stay grounded. “Toby—please—”
“P-Please?” he echoed, smiling faintly, like the word shattered something in him. “P-Please what? S-Say it. I n-need to hear y-you.”
“I—I.. D-Don't s-stop." I panted. God, it was embarassing, begging like that. But he was making me do it.
He whimpered at that. A full unguarded sound of relief and hunger.
“I w-won’t” he said. “I w-won’t s-stop. N-Not unless y-you tell me t-to.”
His mouth ghosted against my cheek, his other hand bracing against the tree beside me while his fingers kept up their rhythm, faster, deeper, slipping between soft circles and thrusts, coaxing me higher and higher until I was so close to let go all over in his hand.
“C-Come on” he whispered, voice shaking with effort. “L-Let go f-for me. I w-want to feel y-you—fuck—I want to h-hear you.”
My legs went weak, my hips grinding helplessly against his hand as the wave hit me, hot and overwhelming. I cried out into his shoulder, my voice muffled by his hoodie, my entire body trembling with release as the pleasure tore through me, as I soaked his fingers with cum.
Toby held me through it, his hand slowing gently, his mouth murmuring something I couldn’t understand.
My breath caught and caught again, legs shaking so badly I thought I might fall if he wasn’t holding me up.
Finally, he stopped.
His fingers were still inside me, and my wrists were trembling behind me. His chest rising and falling against mine like he’d just run ten miles.
“I’m n-not l-lettin’ ‘em h-have you,” he murmured. “I-I don’t c-care if it makes m-me s-s-selfish. I c-can’t watch s-someone else t-take what I- what I need.”
His fingers had just slipped from inside me, but the tension hadn’t left. I was still facing the tree, cheek against the bark, arms behind my back, pinned in his grip. His chest pressed to my spine, hard and shaking, his breath a ragged storm ghosting down the side of my neck.
He didn’t move away.
Then his fingers dragged along the inside of my thigh again.
“I s-should s-stop,” he said quietly, but his voice was breaking. “F-For r-real this t-time. I-I should let y-you walk a-away.”
But his fingers slipped between my thighs again. Possessively and unashamed.
“Y-You’re still w-warm,” he whispered, pressing his forehead to the back of my head. “S-Still so g-goddamn w-wet.”
He slid back into me with two fingers, slow but deeply, dragging out the sensation like he was savoring the way I clenched around him.
I choked on a moan, biting the inside of my cheek.
“Y-You didn’t c-cool down,” he murmured, his voice dipping lower. “Y-You’re still b-begging. Just w-with your b-body now.”
“Toby…” I breathed, but it came out broken, half-swallowed by the bark pressing against my lips.
His body leaned heavier into mine. I could feel every twitch, every jerk in his hips, his hard length straining against his jeans, digging into my lower back with almost painful pressure.
“I-I’ll never s-s-stop thinking a-about t-this,” he groaned. “Y-You… s-squirming like t-that. F-fuck, I c-can feel y-you—god—I can f-feel you w-when you b-break.”
He thrust his fingers deeper this time, faster and messier. The wet sound of it filled the quiet woods, and my knees buckled beneath me.
His arm wrapped around my waist to hold me upright, and I felt his mouth near my ear, voice unraveling.
“Y-You need it a-again, don’t y-you?” he whispered. “You’re s-s-shaking. Y-You’re already c-close, aren’t y-you?”
I nodded without thinking. I couldn’t lie. My body was answering for me.
He groaned low and dark in my ear. “G-Good. I w-want to f-feel you c-come on me a-again.”
His pace quickened, his fingers curling inside with cruel precision, dragging across that spot that made my entire body seize.
“C-Come for me, L-Lenora,” he whispered, soft and wrecked. “I w-want you to d-drown in i-it. R-right here, where a-anyone could s-see. I w-want them a-all to k-know—BEN, Masky, e-everyone, t-that it w-was me t-that did this t-to you.”
I shattered against him, again, my body spasming against the tree, my cry stifled in the crook of my arm. My thighs clenched around his hand, and he held me like I was coming undone in pieces, his hand never stopping, not even when I trembled so hard I couldn’t stand straight.
And when it faded, slowly, I felt him still behind me, trembling harder than before.
Then softly, barely above a whisper, he said;
“I’m n-not l-lettin’ you g-go.”
My legs barely holding me up, my skin hot and damp and buzzing. Toby was behind me, hands shaking as he slowly pulled back.
I felt him let go of my wrists. My arms dropped, useless and numb. Then I felt his fingers slide out from between my legs, slow, careful, like he didn’t want to let go.
And then, without a word, he lifted his hand.
And licked his fingers clean.
His eyes half-closed, his tongue slid over every inch like he was trying to memorize the taste. No shame. No hesitation. Just him, like he needed to own it. All of it.
It was quiet except for our breathing, and the faint sound of his mouth as he sucked each finger, like he was trying to wipe me off the inside of his head by putting me on his tongue.
I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. I just watched him do it. And I felt that weird, dizzy heat crawl right back up my spine.
When he finished, he blinked like he’d come out of a trance. Something in his face changed, his face had gone scarlet. He jerked back a step like he’d just realized exactly what he’d done.
“O-Oh, s-s-s-shit,” he mumbled, rubbing at the back of his neck like he wanted to scrape the skin off. “I-I.. f-f-fuck.”
He wouldn’t meet my eyes.
“I d-d-didn’t m-mean—n-no, I d-did—I m-meant it, I j-just…” He trailed off, twitching again, his hands shaking worse now that they weren’t touching me. “I s-s-shouldn’t’ve g-gone that f-far. I w-wasn’t—thinking.”
He huffed a laugh, bitter and breathless. “I never t-t-think.”
He was spiraling, but not out of regret. That much was obvious. He didn’t look sorry. Just... embarassed. Like he’d crossed a line he’d been holding back from for a long time, and now he couldn’t look at me without feeling that. And maybe a little scared that I’d look at him differently now.
He took another step back.
“I—I g-gotta go,” he said, barely above a whisper.
And then he turned, muttering under his breath and disappeared into the trees. Just like that. Hood up, head down, practically disappearing out of existence.
I stayed right where I was. Back still against the tree. Skin flushed. Muscles aching. Legs barely under me.
I didn’t call out after him. Didn’t tell him to stop or come back.
Because I wasn’t sure what I’d say if I did. And I really wasn’t sure what I’d do… if he listened.
~TOBY'S POV~
My hands wouldn’t stop shaking.
No matter how many times I rubbed them against my jeans, like I could scrub the memory off—they still smelled like her. Her skin, her heat, the sound she made when I—
God.
What the fuck did I do?
I stumbled over a tree root, shoulders jerking so hard I almost fell face-first into the dirt. “F-f-fuck,” I muttered, catching myself on a branch, my leg bouncing with a tic I couldn’t stop.
She didn’t stop me. She didn’t say no.
But still. I’d lost it. Again.
My brain was short-circuiting. I couldn’t tell where the shame started and the craving ended. All I knew was the way her body moved against my hand, how she didn’t pull away, the sounds she made when she—
“S-S-Stop thinking a-about i-it,” I hissed, dragging my nails down my neck. “S-Stop, stop, s-stop—”
“Do it again.”
The voice. Back in my head. That dry, cold one that always showed up after I broke something.
“You felt her. She let you. Do it again.”
“N-No.” I shook my head, tics yanking my jaw to the side. “Sh-shut up.”
“She liked it.”
“I k-know,” I whispered. “I f-fucking k-know…”
And that was the problem.
Because I didn’t want it to stop. And now I’d tasted her, I’d felt her come apart on my hand, melt into me—I knew it wasn’t just some passing crush. It wasn’t puppy-love or stupid hormones.
I was obsessed.
Fully, stupidly, sick-in-the-head obsessed.
With the way her voice shook when she said my name. With her smell. With the fact that she didn’t look afraid of me.
She looked at me like I mattered.
Even when I was losing it.
Especially when I was losing it.
My hoodie felt suffocating. My mouthguard pressed too hard against my teeth. My body was a mix of twitchy heat and confusion, every nerve scrambled and firing wrong.
I didn’t know how to handle this. I’d never felt this way before.
Not for real.
And now I had to walk back into the mansion like I wasn’t falling apart.
The back door creaked when I opened it. Familiar smell: wood, blood, sweat, something burnt in the kitchen again. Of course.
Voices from the living room drifted down the hall—laughing, someone shouting, something about “who took my fucking charger.”
I should’ve gone straight to my room.
But I didn’t.
I couldn’t.
Because if I went back to that dark little space with nothing but my thoughts and her still burned into my fingers, I’d go crazy.
So I walked toward the noise.
They were all there.
Jeff was lying upside down on the couch, shirt half-off, cackling at some dumb video on his phone, Clockwork was painting her nails with a switchblade in her lap. Nina was pestering Jane, who looked like she was about five seconds from homicide.
BEN was there too. Of course. Sprawled on the floor, hoodie up, controller in hand, eyes flicking up briefly when he saw me.
I hesitated in the doorway.
Jeff noticed first.
“Yo, Toby!” he shouted. “Get your twitchy ass in here! We’re playing Mortal Kombat—Clockwork just fatality’d BEN so hard he glitched out in real life.”
“I did not glitch,” BEN muttered without looking away. “That was lag.”
I blinked.
Then, before I could think, I nodded and walked in.
“Y-Y-Yeah. Okay.”
It came out hoarse, weirdly soft.
I flopped down on the arm of the couch next to Nina, my hands shoved deep into my sleeves, still trembling. I tried to keep my head down, but I could feel them all glancing at me—just for a second too long.
Then Jeff squinted.
“Bro,” he said slowly, “why are you red?”
I twitched hard. “Wh-What?”
“Your face, dude.” He grinned. “You look like someone threw you in the oven with the pizza rolls.”
Clockwork leaned over and actually peered at me. “Oh my god,” she muttered, lips curling into a smirk. “You’re blushing.”
“I’m not.” My voice cracked.
Jane raised an eyebrow. “You look guilty.”
“Whatcha been up to, Toby?” Nina sing-songed. “Did you do something?”
I twitched again—hard.
“N-No.”
BEN didn’t say anything.
But I could feel his eyes on me. And I hated that I could still feel her on me, too. In my hoodie sleeves. In my fucking bloodstream.
I swallowed hard and kept my eyes on the TV screen.
Trying to act normal.
Trying to act like I didn’t have Lenora’s moans replaying in my head like a broken record.
Like I wasn’t losing my mind one second at a time.
~LENORA'S POV~
My legs still weren’t steady.
Toby’s hands might’ve let go back in the woods, but the feeling lingered—between my thighs, across my ribs, under my skin like I’d been scorched. His voice still echoed in my ear. His stuttered breaths, his body pressed into mine, the way I didn’t stop him.
I walked into the mansion trying to look composed.
It didn’t work.
Toby looked just as wrecked as I felt, face red, hoodie tight around him like he was trying to hide inside it, twitching like every nerve in his body was screaming. He looked up when I walked in.
We made eye contact.
One second. One heartbeat.
Too long.
Too telling.
Jeff looked up from the TV and immediately grinned. “Y’all are way too obvious. What happened, did Lenora trip and fall on Toby’s dick?”
Toby flinched like he’d been shot.
Clockwork didn’t even look up. “Shut up Jeff.”
I went straight to the kitchen without a word, forcing my steps to stay even, ignoring the heat crawling up my throat.
My phone buzzed before I touched the glass of water I meant to drink.
I pulled it out with a slow exhale.
BEN:
what the fuck did you do
you let him touch you again?
My chest tightened.
ME:
you need to calm down
BEN:
no
i really fucking don’t
you come back in here red-faced and shaking and you think no one noticed?
i know what he looks like when he’s proud of himself
and i know what you look like when you’re trying to pretend you didn’t just get off
ME:
we’re not together
you don’t get to act like this
BEN:
then stop crawling into my bed if you’re gonna spread your legs for him too
My hands clenched hard around the edge of the sink.
ME:
you’re being an asshole
BEN:
yeah?
good
maybe that’ll help me forget how fucking smug he looked at the pool when he had his hands all over you
like you were his
and now what? you let him try again?
ME:
you beat the shit out of him last time
BEN:
and i’ll do it again
Buzz.
BEN:
i don’t give a shit if he can’t feel pain
i want him to remember who the fuck he’s trying to steal from
My pulse jumped.
ME:
i’m not something to steal.
you don't own me ben.
BEN:
you sure about that?
’cause you sure didn’t stop him
you looked like you fucking liked it
I stared down at the message, breathing too fast.
ME:
you don’t know what happened
BEN:
i don’t have to
i bet you’re still wet from it
My chest burned.
ME:
you’re pissed because it wasn’t you
BEN:
i’m pissed because you let that twitchy bastard get you off
you want to be used? i could’ve done it better.
I stared at the words until my eyes blurred.
ME:
you don’t get to rewrite this just because you’re mad now
BEN:
rewrite what?
you let him fuck you in the woods while i sat here like a goddamn idiot waiting to see if you’d come to my room again tonight
That hit me harder than I wanted it to.
I couldn’t type. Not right away.
ME:
i didn’t promise you anything
BEN:
yeah
and i guess i forgot you don’t owe anyone shit when you’re too busy moaning for someone else
Buzz.
BEN:
hope it was worth it.
That was it.
I slammed the faucet off and left my glass of water untouched. I stormed out of the kitchen and straight to my room without looking at anyone.
And still my phone buzzed once more as I shut my door behind me.
BEN:
run all you want, sweetheart
i’ll still be the one in your head.
I didn’t expect anyone to knock.
I figured I’d cry it out, pull myself together, maybe throw my phone across the room. The idea of anyone seeing me like this? Not happening.
So when the knock came—three soft taps, I froze.
BEN wouldn’t knock. Toby wouldn’t either. They’d either barge in or text something passive-aggressive from the hallway.
This wasn’t them.
I dragged myself off the bed, wiped my face with the sleeve of my hoodie, and cracked the door open.
It was Masky. He stood there, stiff as always, hoodie up, mask on. He had one hand stuffed in his pocket and the other holding a folded piece of paper.
“…Hey” he said, voice low.
“Hey” I croaked, trying to sound normal. I probably sounded like shit.
He held the paper out.
“Slender wants you to know… tomorrow’s your first real mission,” he said. “With us. You’re in.”
I stared at the paper like it might bite me, then took it with fingers that weren’t entirely steady. “Cool. Thanks.”
He didn’t leave. He glanced past me into the room, then back at me. I saw the hesitation in his body. Like he wasn’t sure if he should ask or if he should turn and walk off.
“You okay?” he asked finally.
I opened my mouth to lie—because that’s what I always did—but something about the way he said it…
And it hit me hard.
I looked at him for maybe two seconds, and then I just crumpled.
I tried to turn my face away, hide it with my arm, but the tears were already back, hot and fast, like they’d just been waiting for someone to ask.
“Shit,” I muttered. “Sorry—I’m fine, I just—”
“No, hey—” Masky said quickly, stepping forward inside, closing the door behind him. “It’s fine. Don’t—don’t apologize.”
He looked uncomfortable for a second. Like he didn’t know what to do with his hands. Then he moved in slowly and kind of awkwardly wrapped his arms around me.
It was warm.
I sank into him without thinking.
I pressed my face against his chest, and just—lost it. Really cried. I gripped the front of his hoodie like it might keep me from falling apart completely.
He was taller than me—way taller—so I fit under his chin perfectly, and after a second, he dipped his head just a little. His arms stayed around me, steady, even though I could feel how unsure he was.
I heard him exhale.
“This… isn’t really my thing,” he said quietly, like he felt the need to confess it. “Comfort. Emotions. You know.”
I let out a watery laugh into his chest. “Yeah, I figured.”
He rubbed his hand up and down my back, slowly.
“I just didn’t like the way you looked when you answered the door.” he muttered.
I pulled back just a little, enough to look up at him. His mask was still on, but I could see the crease between his brows through the eyeholes.
“Sorry..” I mumbled, trying to laugh it off again. “Didn’t mean to have a whole breakdown in front of you.”
He shrugged. "I’ve seen worse. Jeff punched a wall and cried over a broken cookie last week. That was less dignified.”
I laughed again. It cracked halfway through, but it still counted.
His voice was quiet when he spoke again. “You don’t have to tell me what happened. Not unless you want to.”
I shook my head. “Not yet.”
“Okay.”
Another pause.
Then he added, “I’m not gonna pretend I know what to say, either. But I’m here. If you need… someone.”
I looked at him. He was steady. Awkward. Honest. A soft blush crept on my cheeks. The image of a stuck-up Masky was suddenly getting wiped off my mind with something softer.
“…Thanks,” I said, voice small.
He nodded. “You can keep crying if you want. I’m not going anywhere.”
“Don’t tempt me.” I muttered.
And still, he didn’t let go.
...
I wasn’t sure how long we stood there.
His arms were around me and I didn’t want to move. My face was pressed against the fabric of his hoodie, and his chest rose and fell in slow, even breaths. I’d cried it out already, and now I was just... quiet.
He hadn’t said anything for a while. Just kept holding me, like it was okay if I didn’t say anything either.
And then the door swung open.
Masky tensed instantly.
I turned toward the sound, startled—and Hoodie was already halfway inside the room, glancing between us like he’d just walked in on a private scene.
Which, I guess, he had.
“Oh.” Hoodie said, stopping mid-step. “Well. That explains why you didn’t come back.”
Masky didn’t let go right away, but his arms loosened.
I stepped back first, suddenly very aware of how warm my face felt. “Shit—sorry, I didn’t know the door was unlocked—”
“You’re good,” Hoodie said, casually waving it off. “I figured Masky would be here.”
He looked at Masky with one brow slightly raised behind the mask. “You said you were coming to give her the mission update, not... you know.” He gestured vaguely between us.
Masky straightened, voice flat. “She was upset.”
I could’ve died right there. I pulled my sleeves down over my hands and tried to disappear into them. “Yeah, I’m fine now. It wasn’t a big deal.”
“Mmhm.” Hoodie didn’t sound convinced. His gaze flicked from me to Masky, then back again. “So I’m not interrupting a heartfelt confession or anything, right?”
Masky’s reply was sharp. “No.”
I mumbled, “Definitely not...”
Hoodie held back a chuckle. “Alright. Just checking.”
He took another slow step into the room, clearly enjoying the awkward energy. “So. This is happening now? You're doing emotional support now?”
Masky ignored him, silent.
I shifted awkwardly, arms crossed. “He just showed up to tell me about the mission. I kind of… broke down. He was just being nice.”
Hoodie made a thoughtful noise, like he was pretending to seriously consider that.
“Right,” he said finally. “Nice. Masky. Hugging someone. In a room. With the door closed.”
Masky turned his head toward Hoodie, dead silent, the look behind his mask very clearly saying drop it or die.
Hoodie grinned beneath his own mask. “Relax. I’m not gonna tell anyone. Yet.”
“Appreciated...” Masky muttered.
Hoodie checked his watch. “Anyway, Slender still wants that video footage destroyed by today. You coming or am I telling him you’re busy being emotionally available?”
Masky shifted. “I’m coming.”
He turned to me again before he left, just for a second.
Our eyes met.
Then, after a small pause, he said quietly, “See you.”
I nodded. “Cya.”
He walked past Hoodie and out the door.
Hoodie followed, but not before throwing one last smirk over his shoulder. “I’ll give you two a heads-up next time. Maybe knock first. Maybe.”
“Bye, Hoodie...” I said, mostly to make him stop talking.
"Cya" He said, then disappeared into the hallway.
The room felt quiet again, but warmer than before.
~3RD PERSON POV~
The door shut behind them with a soft click, and for a second, the hallway was blessedly quiet. Masky exhaled slowly through his nose, hands shoved in the front pocket of his hoodie, shoulders squared like he hadn’t just been holding someone like they were the last steady thing in the world.
But Hoodie was already looking at him.
He didn’t say anything at first.
Just walked beside him. Calm. Even steps.
Masky felt the weight of it coming before the first word dropped.
“So…” Hoodie said casually, “you wanna talk about what I walked in on, or are we doing the usual 'pretend nothing happened until it explodes later' thing?”
Masky didn’t look at him. “There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Oh, right..” Hoodie said. “I forgot—‘she was upset.’ That’s your story.”
“It’s not a story,” Masky muttered. “It’s what happened.”
“I’m not saying it didn’t happen!” Hoodie replied. “Just saying I’ve seen a lot of upset people around here, and I’ve never seen you hold any of them like that.”
Masky said nothing.
“Not even me!!!!” Hoodie added.
“Jesus...” Masky muttered under his breath.
Hoodie smirked behind his mask. “Look, I’m not judging. It was kinda sweet. Weird as hell. But sweet.”
“She needed a second,” Masky said. “That’s all.”
“Yeah, and you gave her about five minutes.” Hoodie replied. “Didn’t exactly sprint out of there after handing her the mission information.”
Masky’s jaw tightened. “She’s new. She got overwhelmed. I stayed. It’s not complicated.”
“Oh no,” Hoodie said. “Not complicated at all. Definitely not the kind of hug that lingers. Or the kind of look that gets cut off the second someone walks in.”
Masky finally turned his head. His voice was flat. “You done?”
“Just getting started” Hoodie said cheerfully. “Listen, man, you don’t have to say anything. I’m not pushing. But you like her. Anyone with working eyes can see that.”
Masky didn’t answer.
“Just… I don’t know” Hoodie said after a pause, quieter this time. “You’ve been locked up in your own head for a long time. If someone pulls you out of that even a little, maybe don’t run from it.”
Masky glanced down the hall. He could still smell her faintly on the sleeve of his hoodie. It clung in a way that made his jaw clench for reasons he didn’t want to examine.
He didn't respond.
“Anyway,” Hoodie added, stretching his arms behind his head, “I’m still gonna give you shit for it. But y’know. From a place of love.”
“Noted” Masky muttered, and smiled.
They kept walking, but that warmth hadn’t left his chest.
Chapter Text
~BEN'S POV~
Fuck her.
That was the first thought that hit me when I slammed my door and locked it behind me.
The second was worse.
Why the fuck did it hurt this bad?
I kicked my chair so hard it bounced off the wall, cracked, and landed sideways. The monitor went next, I ripped it off the desk, threw it down, hard. It shattered like glass under my boots. Sparks shot out of the wires. I didn’t even flinch.
Good.
I hope the whole place fucking burns down.
My hands were shaking. My knuckles were already split open from hitting the wall, but I didn’t stop. Slammed them into the wall again, left another dent right next to the first one. My hand screamed at me to stop.
Fuck that.
Let me bleed.
I couldn’t get her face out of my head. Lenora. Her goddamn flushed cheeks. Her lips. The way her eyes dropped when she walked in from the woods like she’d just been—
Fucked.
Probably was.
By him.
Toby fucking Rogers. Can’t make eye contact for more than five seconds. Can't speak a full sentence without stuttering. And she let him touch her?
She let him?
I gritted my teeth and slammed my fist into the wall again. This time it cracked louder. A chunk of it crumbled and hit the floor.
“FUCK!” I yelled, pacing in circles, hair in my fists now.
I couldn’t breathe. Not right.
All I could think about was her. On top of me. Whispering my name in the dark. Writhing in my shoulder like it was the only thing keeping her warm. Sending me pics that made my blood boil. Sleeping in my bed like she belonged there.
But now she’s coming back with that look in her eyes, and it wasn’t for me.
It was for him.
She fucking let him touch her.
And it wasn’t a mistake.
She wanted it.
I dragged both hands down my face and growled. I wanted to destroy something. Everything. I wanted to drag Toby out into the woods and break every bone in his goddamn body, even if he didn't feel pain.
I already beat his ass once. Should’ve fucking finished it.
...
What the hell was wrong with me?
We weren’t together. No promises. No strings. No feelings.
So why the fuck does it feel like she ripped something out of my chest?
I sat down hard against the wall, hands in my hair, staring at nothing.
I should’ve fucked her when I had the chance.
I should’ve said something before he did.
But I didn’t.
I just let her slip between my fingers while I sat here pretending not to give a shit—until she walked back in smelling like someone else’s hands were all over her.
And now?
Now I wanted to tear her out of his memory.
I wanted her back in mine.
Back in my bed.
And I hated that I didn’t know if she wanted that too.
I don’t get jealous.
I don’t do love.
I don’t do this.
So why the fuck did it feel like I was falling apart?
...
I didn’t even hear him at first. Not the footsteps or the door creaking open. Just my own fucking heartbeat hammering in my ears, the sound of my blood boiling, the mess of my breathing as I tried not to scream again.
Then Jeff’s voice, flat but not totally unserious:
“You punch another hole in or did the wall finally give up on your shit?”
I didn’t answer. I was still curled against the corner of my wrecked room, surrounded by broken plastic and torn wires.
Jeff stepped over the shattered remains of my monitor and dropped down near me, cross-legged like this was just another Tuesday.
“You didn’t lock the door,” he said, glancing around. “Bold move. You usually like to suffer in private.”
“Fuck off.”
“Yeah, you’re welcome too,” he muttered, brushing a cracked soda can aside. “You’re a goddamn hurricane. What the hell happened in here?”
I didn’t say anything.
“Is this about Lenora?”
My jaw clenched.
Jeff exhaled slowly. “Alright. That’s a yes.”
He sat back, elbows on his knees. “You gonna give me more than one-word grunts, or do I have to guess what happened? I’m good at guessing. Wanna hear my first one?”
I shot him a glare, but he ignored it.
“You got jealous” he said plainly. “She did something that made you feel like you were losing her. And instead of talking to her about it like a functioning being, you came in here and rage-smashed everything you own.”
I barked out a sharp, bitter laugh. “Go fuck yourself.”
“Already did” he said. “Now it’s your turn. Say the thing out loud before your heart caves in on itself.”
I stared at the wall.
“…She was with him." I finally said, voice tight. “With Toby, in the woods. And she let him touch her.”
Jeff’s expression didn’t change.
“She came back looking flushed” I kept going, the words falling out of me faster now. “She couldn’t even look at me. Her fucking legs were shaking. You think I didn’t notice?”
“Damn, I mean, I saw it—” Jeff said after a beat. “He actually—?”
“Yeah.” I snapped. “Yeah. He did.”
Silence.
Then I muttered, “And I can’t even fucking blame her.”
Jeff glanced at me. “What do you mean?”
I scoffed. “We never said we were anything. We never talked about it. No promises or anything. We just messed around.”
Jeff tilted his head. “So you were just pretending it was casual, hoping she’d read your mind?”
“Shut up.”
“No, really,” he said. “That your strategy? ‘Act like I don’t give a shit until she magically figures out that I actually do’?”
“Shut the fuck up, Jeff.”
But the thing was, he wasn’t wrong.
I dug my fingers into my hair, pressing the heels of my palms into my eyes. “I just thought—fuck, I thought I was the only one. That even if we didn’t talk about it, I was the one she always came to. That she wanted me. Even if they wanted her.”
“She did” Jeff said. “Hell, she probably still does. But you can’t exactly expect her to read your silence like a love letter, man. You didn’t give her anything to hold onto.”
“I didn’t know how,” I said, voice raw. “I still fucking don’t.”
“Yeah, well… welcome to feelings. They suck.”
I dropped my head back against the wall. “It’s so fucking stupid. I didn’t even want to want her. She was just a distraction. But she got in my head, and now everything I see just reminds me of her.”
I looked over at him, eyes burning. “I can’t stop thinking about her. In my bed. Laughing at my dumb jokes. Snuggling into my hoodie. Fucking texting me at three a.m. like I’m the only one who makes her feel safe.”
My voice cracked. “And then she walks in smelling like someone else and I just—”
I broke. I couldn’t hold it in.
I turned away from Jeff and buried my face in my arm, shaking hard, black and red tears slipping out before I could stop them.
“I fucking hate this” I muttered, broken.
Jeff didn’t speak right away. I felt his hand against my shoulder.
“Hey,” he said. “I know this feels like hell. But you’re not the only one who's fucked up with feelings. The difference is whether you let ‘em eat you alive or do something about it.”
I stayed silent, breathing through my teeth.
“You care about her?” he asked.
I nodded.
“Then stop pretending you don’t,” he said. “And fix it before someone else does.”
I didn’t answer.
But I didn’t argue either.
I sat there like a fucking idiot, breathing hard, wrists sore, burning from the inside out.
Jeff hadn’t said anything in like two minutes. He was just sitting next to me.
“You’re not the only one that’s bad at this shit, y’know.”
I don’t even look at him. “Yeah?”
“I mean... I’ve been where you are. Sort of.”
I scoff. “Oh yeah? You lost the love of your life or something?”
He snorts. “Calm down, Romeo. I’m talking about Nina.”
I finally turn to look at him, half-laughing. “What the fuck does Nina have to do with anything?”
“She’s been obsessed with me for years,” he says, stretching his legs out like he’s bored. “And yeah, I act like I don’t care. Most of the time I don’t. But... some of the time I do.”
I blink. “You’re actually saying you like her?”
He shrugs. “Yeah. So?”
“Does she know that?”
Jeff gives me this sideways look. “She’s not stupid.”
“But you’ve never told her.”
“I don’t have to” he says, picking a splinter from the floorboards. “She sleeps in my bed. Steals my hoodies. I let her. That’s enough.”
I stare at him. “That’s your version of communication?”
He shrugs again. “You got your way, I got mine. She gets it. If she didn’t, she wouldn’t still be here.”
I look away. My voice is lower. “Yeah, well... I thought Lenora got it too.”
He lets that sit for a second. “Did you ever actually show her anything? Like, outside of all the attitude.”
I clench my jaw. “I thought she could tell.”
Jeff raises his brows. “From what? The emotional ice wall? The commitment issues? The ‘we’re not a thing but I’ll lose my shit if you breathe near someone else’ vibes?”
“Fuck off.”
“I’m just saying,” he shrugs, “you don’t get to be mad she didn’t know you wanted more when all you gave her was crumbs.”
That hits way harder than I want it to.
I press my palm to my forehead. “I didn’t mean to care. That wasn’t the plan.”
“Plans are for people who aren’t emotionally constipated,” Jeff says. “Look, if you want her to know, then fucking tell her. Or don’t, keep crying on your busted monitor.”
I shoot him a glare. “This is your idea of support?”
“This is support,” he grins. “I didn’t stab you, did I?”
I actually laugh—just once. Then I go quiet again.
Because underneath all the sarcasm, he’s right.
And I fucking hate that.
~LENORA'S POV~
We left before sunrise.
The van rolled through the outskirts of town like a coffin on wheels, its windows fogged and its walls pulsing with tension no one acknowledged out loud. Masky was the one driving, silently, gloved hands tight on the wheel. He hadn’t said a word since we left the mansion. We all knew what we were about to do.
I sat behind him, my hammer across my thighs, heart steady. Toby sat next to me, twitching quietly, fingers bouncing on his knees like nervous little metronomes. He hadn’t looked at me yet. But I felt his attention drift my way more than once. Every time our eyes nearly met, his gaze darted elsewhere—at the floor, the wall, the ceiling—like if he looked too long he’d remember what it felt like to have me moaning against him.
Kate sat next to me aswell, sharpening one of her knives in soft strokes. Hoodie pulling data from a phone connected to a portable rig. My gloves were tight. My hammer was ready. I felt calm in a way that should’ve scared me. It didn’t.
We stopped three blocks away. No one moved until Masky shut the engine off. Then he turned halfway in his seat and locked eyes with me through his mask. “You’re first in,” he said. “Lure. Confirm identity. Finish it. Fast. Don’t hesitate.”
I nodded.
The house was forgettable. Cookie-cutter suburban, beige siding, a cracked walkway with weeds growing between the concrete. But the man inside had made a mistake: he’d seen Slenderman. Worse, he’d caught it on camera. A clean, unfiltered shot of Him crossing between trees near his backyard. And the idiot had posted it before he knew what he was sitting on. Hoodie had traced it back. This wasn’t about warning him.
This was an erasure.
We moved like shadows, overgrown hedges covering our approach. Kate cut the house camera before the red light blinked twice. Hoodie slipped the lock and Masky gave me the nod.
I went in first.
The man was sitting on his couch, eyes on the screen. The image of Him still frozen there, horrifying even in a blur. The room smelled like cheap coffee and worn leather. I stepped forward, quietly.
Then I hummed.
It was a soft lullaby I didn’t remember learning, something half-lost in childhood, curled under blankets and fear. It made the room feel colder.
The man turned, confused, slow. “Hello?” he called. “Is someone—?”
He never finished.
The hammer connected with his skull like thunder in a basement. A dull, meaty crack that echoed through the room and into my ribs. He fell, spilled like a sack of meat, twitching, one foot kicking the coffee table. I hit him again. And again. Until his head wasn’t a head anymore. Just pulp. Just pieces.
Blood pooled around my boots. Warm. Thick. The room went very, very still.
I stood there, hammer hanging from one hand, blood dripping in fat drops onto the hardwood. Behind me, the others moved in. Hoodie headed for the laptop immediately, already dismantling it. Kate searched drawers, her boots crunching on glass from a shattered picture frame. Masky walked past me like a shadow, barely glancing at the corpse.
“Local only,” Hoodie said from the corner. “No cloud backups. We’re good.”
Masky turned to me then. His gaze lingered.
“That was clean.” he said. “and Efficient.”
I felt the praise before I registered the words. I blushed slightly under my mask while it was stained with blood.
Toby stepped up beside me, just out of blood spatter range. He looked at the body, then at the hammer, then at me. “T-That w-was…” He scratched behind his neck, face flushing a little. “S-Shit. T-That was r-really g-good.”
I blinked at him. He met my eyes for maybe half a second too long, then looked away quickly. “I m-mean—fuck. Y-You d-didn’t flinch. I’ve s-seen p-people f-f-freeze, or p-puke...Y-You just d-did it. L-Like it w-was n-nothing.”
“It wasn’t nothing” I said quietly.
“S-Still,” he said, smiling a little, nervous as hell. “T-That was i-impressive.”
I turned away before my face could heat up again. “T-Thanks.”
Toby excitedly tossed a lighter onto the couch and dumped gasoline over the floor. We left without another word.
By the time we hit the sidewalk, the flames were licking out the windows. The man’s name, face, memories, all going up in smoke.
I didn’t look back.
Slender never had to speak out loud. But I felt Him, somewhere deep in the corners of my mind.
In that silence, one thought pulsed like a heartbeat not my own:
She belongs to Me now. ⦻
The first thing I did when we stepped inside was rip my mask off. It felt glued to my face, warm with dried sweat and blood. I could still smell it.
I took a breath, finally.
The hall was dim. Some of the others were already moving around, Jeff probably messing in the living room again, and I caught a flash of Jane disappearing into the kitchen, but I barely had time to register any of it before I heard:
“Holy shit” Clockwork’s voice cut through the air like a knife. “There she is; Miss First Blood.”
She came up grinning, gears ticking faintly as she looked me over like I was a new toy fresh outta the box. “C’mon. How’d it go? Tell me you broke something important.”
Before I could say a word, Toby beat me to it.
“She—uh, sh-she fuckin' c-crushed it” he said, eyes wide, smiling like he was still reliving the whole thing. “L-like... literal s-s-skull crack. C-clean hit. D-Didn’t—even f-flinch.”
His shoulders twitched, one hand jerking like it always did when he got excited or nervous. “F-f-fuckin’ hell, it was g-good. L-Like... scary g-good.”
I blinked, surprised.
“S-She didn’t h-hesitate,” he added, looking right at me now, a little red in the face. “No p-panic, no s-second t-thoughts. Just b-bam!”
Clockwork snorted. “Okay, damn. I was expecting like... a broken ankle and tears. Good for you, newbie.”
Behind me, Masky just nodded once. “She did what she was told.”
Hoodie gave a low grunt. “Didn’t make a mess either.”
Kate passed through like a shadow, gave me a sharp nod, then kept walking.
I tucked my mask under my arm, bloodied gloves still on, and finally let myself smile. A little.
Then I felt it. His eyes on me.
That kind of stare you don’t need to see to feel.
I looked across the room.
He was leaned up against the wall like always, arms crossed, mouth set in that sharp little line he always got when he was pretending to be chill and totally wasn’t.
BEN was staring at me.
And I stared back.
Just for a second.
His jaw clenched, like he was holding something back. Like maybe he wanted to say something. Or punch someone.
Or both.
But he didn’t move.
He just swallowed it, whatever it was.
And I looked away.
Because fuck him.
Toby leaned in a little, his voice quieter now. “Y-you good? Y-you d-didn’t even blink!”
I shrugged. “Yeah. I mean... I thought I’d freak out. But I didn’t.”
He scratched at his jaw, nervous tic kicking up again. “Y-yeah, I—I noticed.”
I smiled, kinda soft. “Thanks for saying something.”
He looked away real quick. “N-not a big deal.”
But I caught the way he smiled. I blushed at it. Toby could be so sweet and cute when he wanted to be.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw BEN again. Still watching. Still quiet. Still that pissed-off simmer under his skin.
And when I met his eyes again, I didn’t smile.
I turned away.
Let him sit in it.
He made this silence.
He could choke on it.
~BEN'S POV~
She walked in covered in blood and looking like it meant nothing. And fuck me, she looked good like that.
Hammer still gripped in one hand, mask off, hair stuck to her neck from sweat and whatever else sprayed back when she caved that guy’s skull in.
She looked alive.
I hated how it made my chest tighten.
Clockwork was already all over her, grinning like a lunatic, throwing out her usual comments.
I almost laughed.
But then he spoke.
His voice came in all twitchy and stuttery, the same damn way it always does, and for once, it didn’t piss me off because of the sound.
It pissed me off because he was smiling when he said it.
He looked at her like she was the only thing in the room. Like he couldn’t believe she was real.
And the worst part? She smiled back.
I clenched my jaw. Arms crossed, shoulder pressed to the wall so I didn’t do something stupid like walk over and ruin the moment.
Because I wanted to.
God, I wanted to.
I wanted to yank her away from all of them. Drag her upstairs. Lock the door. Tell her everything I’d been too much of a coward to say.
But I didn’t. I just stood there.
Listening to Toby stumble over praise while she blushed and tried to act like it wasn’t getting to her. Like she didn’t love hearing it.
Masky muttered some deadpan approval, Hoodie grunted something, Kate gave a nod and vanished, and the whole fucking time Lenora was standing there like she belonged.
Like she’d always belonged.
And she never looked at me.
Until she did.
Her eyes met mine across the room—and she didn’t smile. Didn’t say anything. Didn’t soften.
Just stared.
And I knew she was pissed. I could feel it in her face. The way her jaw twitched, the slight squint in her brow.
She was still mad about last night.
About the shit I didn’t say. The stuff I implied. The jealousy I threw in her face instead of owning what I felt.
I held her stare like an idiot.
And then she broke it.
Looked away.
Back to Toby.
Back to him.
My throat burned.
I wanted to punch something. Not because of her—but because of me.
Because I couldn’t stop looking at her.
Because she looked happier now than she ever did curled up next to me.
And I had no one to blame for that but myself.
So I swallowed it.
The words. The jealousy. The sting behind my eyes I’d never fucking admit to.
I just watched her smile at someone else.
And let it eat me alive.
~3rd PERSON POV~
BEN leaned against the hallway wall like he was trying to disappear into it.
Jeff passed by once, clocked it, didn’t say anything.
Second pass, he slowed.
Third, he stopped.
“You planning to stand there all day or are you just trying to grow roots?”
BEN didn’t look at him. “What do you want?”
Jeff sighed. “You looked like you were gonna do something. Say something. Or at least storm off dramatically. But instead, you’re just... sulking. Like a haunted houseplant.”
BEN finally glanced at him. “Fuck off.”
“That’s better,” Jeff said, grinning. “Almost sounded alive.”
BEN rolled his eyes. “I’m not—never mind.”
“Ah. We’re in the middle of another emotional implosion, huh?” Jeff leaned a shoulder against the wall. “Look, if you’re not gonna talk to her, fine. But don’t stand here like the universe betrayed you when you haven’t even tried.”
“I’ll text her.”
Jeff blinked. “You live with her.”
“Yeah. So?”
Jeff stared at him. “Do you even have my number?”
BEN ignored him and pulled out his phone.
“Okay, sure.” Jeff muttered. “Text your way into redemption. I’m sure that’ll work.”
BEN
hey
you got a sec?
Lenora
…depends
is this gonna piss me off?
BEN
no promises
but I’m trying to be decent
Lenora
...weird start
go on
BEN
just wanted to say
you did good out there
like
really good
Lenora
thanks
but why are you saying this now?
BEN
because i didn’t say it earlier
and i should’ve
Lenora
you should’ve said a lot of things
BEN
yeah
i know
Lenora
so?
BEN
so i’m not gonna pretend i handled any of this well
i was weird
jealous
passive-aggressive
you didn’t deserve that
Lenora
you were an asshole
BEN
yep
accurate
Lenora
you gonna explain why or just let that hang?
BEN
i don’t know
wasn’t planning to unpack all my emotional baggage via text
just felt like maybe
i owed you something better than silence and side-eyes
Lenora
you don’t owe me anything
we never made a promise
BEN
yeah
but maybe i should’ve said something before i started acting like you cheated on a deal we never made
Lenora
you didn’t say a word
you watched
and waited
and then got mad when i did something without you
BEN
i know
wasn’t about you
not really
just me being in my own head and handling it like a dumbass
Lenora
so what now
you want to talk? apologize? fix something?
BEN
honestly?
i don’t know
im just trying to not make it worse
Lenora
by texting?
BEN
baby steps
you want dramatic speeches, go knock on Jeff’s door
Lenora
god no
BEN
then maybe just let me sit in your room for five minutes
Lenora
what would we even talk about?
BEN
nothing
or everything
i’m fine either way
just kind of miss being able to sit near you without feeling like i’m in trouble
Lenora
you are in trouble
BEN
but you’re letting me text
so that’s something
Lenora
barely
BEN
you want me to come up or what?
Lenora
fine
but i swear if you act smug about this i’m throwing you out the window
BEN
noted
bringing snacks as tribute
Lenora
you better
door’s open
don’t make it weird
BEN
can’t promise anything
but i’ll try
~LENORA'S POV~
I heard him pacing outside my door for almost a minute before he knocked.
I opened the door.
BEN stood there with his hoodie half-zipped and a cheap bag of sour gummies in one hand. His expression unreadable except for the very faint twitch in his jaw, like he’d rather be anywhere else but forced himself to show up anyway.
“You actually came” I said.
He raised the bag slightly. “Brought a peace offering. I figured sugar might make me tolerable.”
I didn’t smile. “Don’t sit on the bed.”
He gave a breathy little laugh. “Yeah. Got it.”
He walked in slow, eyes scanning the room.
He leaned against the wall near the window and crinkled the candy bag open. The silence filled the room almost instantly.
I stayed by the dresser, arms crossed. “So.”
“So,” he echoed, tossing a gummy into his mouth like it gave him something to do with his hands.
Another silence.
He chewed, swallowed. Held the bag out toward me. “Want one?”
I stared. “I’m deciding if I want to throw them at your face.”
He didn’t flinch. “Fair.”
Still, I took one.
I leaned back against the dresser again, letting the sour hit my tongue while watching him like I was trying to catch a lie.
He dropped his head back against the wall, sighing. “Okay. This is already awkward.”
“That’s your fault.”
“I know.”
Silence again. Not the comfortable kind.
Finally, I asked, “Why are you here, BEN? Really.”
He didn’t answer right away. He just looked over at me, hair in his face, his eyes tired but focused. For once, not hiding behind a smirk.
“Because I don’t like how we left things” he said quietly. “And I’m tired of pretending I’m not... caught up in it.”
My arms tightened across my chest. “Caught up in what?”
His gaze dropped for half a second, then came back up. Steady.
“You.”
My heart skipped a beat.
I didn’t move. “Me?”
“I didn’t know how to say it before” he said. “I still don’t.”
“That’s not really my problem.”
“I know,” he said again. “I’m not expecting you to fix anything. Or forgive anything. I just... I needed to stop pretending I didn’t care.”
“You still haven’t said what you care about.”
He chewed the inside of his cheek, like the answer tasted bad.
“I care that I messed it up. That I got mad like I was owed something I never asked for out loud.”
I studied him. Watched the way he wouldn’t quite meet my eyes for too long.
“You’re not good at this” I said.
“Nope.”
“You don’t get to be mad about it still, though.”
“I know.”
More silence.
I walked to my chair and sat down slowly, letting the sugar fade off my tongue. “So now what?”
BEN didn’t move from the wall.
“Now we sit here,” he said. “And not pretend it’s nothing.”
I leaned my head against the chair’s back and closed my eyes for a moment.
"Fine."
...
He still hadn’t moved from the wall.
BEN stood there, body tense, like if he let go even a little, the whole conversation might crush him. His eyes flicked toward me a few times and then dropped again.
I was still in my chair, arms draped across the armrests. My chest felt like a stretched rubber band waiting to snap.
"If you came all the way up here just to stare at the floor, you can go.”
That finally pushed something loose.
“I didn’t,” he said quickly. Then again, slower. “I didn’t.”
I raised a brow. “Okay.”
BEN looked like he was trying to choose between jumping out the window or choking on his own words. He dragged a hand through his hair, exhaled, then started pacing back and forth like it kept his mouth working.
“I’m not good at this” he muttered.
“You’ve said.”
“I’m—fuck, okay.” He stopped, turned to face me, one hand tugging the sleeve of his hoodie like he didn’t even realize he was doing it. “I was jealous.”
I blinked. I already knew that.
He kept going before I could interrupt.
“I mean, you probably already knew that. Obviously. I’m not subtle. But I need to actually say it, and not just in a ‘BEN gets pissy across the room and sulks for three days’ kind of way.”
I just watched him.
He sighed. “You were with Toby. You came back and I—I lost my shit internally. Like full-on rage mode, and not because you were doing anything wrong but because I... I made it a thing in my head. I built this whole fake-ass idea that we had something exclusive, when we never actually said that. Ever.”
My breath caught slightly, but I didn’t speak.
“And that’s not fair to you,” he said, more quietly now. “It wasn’t fair that I made you feel like you were doing something wrong. Like you cheated or something. We weren’t dating. We weren’t—” His voice cracked for a second and he rubbed the back of his neck. “We weren’t anything official. Hell, we haven’t even had sex.”
He was turning red now. Slightly. Just across his cheeks, climbing up his neck, like his body was betraying him before his mouth could.
“But we were close,” he added. “We had... whatever it was. The sneaking around. The late nights. You in my bed. Me in yours. The... the stuff.”
I raised an eyebrow. “The stuff?”
His face flushed deeper. “Okay, don’t make me say dryhumping out loud. That’s not the point.”
I smiled, but just barely. “Go on.”
He tugged his hoodie sleeves down past his knuckles and cleared his throat. “I acted like you broke some invisible contract that I wrote in my head and never actually shared with you. That’s on me.”
I stayed quiet.
He looked at me for a second too long.
"You didn’t do anything wrong. You were just being free. And I punished you for it like a possessive dick.”
I tilted my head. “That’s more honest than I expected.”
He laughed awkwardly. “Yeah, well. I’ve been marinating in guilt. It’s not fun.”
I didn’t interrupt.
He swallowed, then stepped forward once.
“And it’s not just guilt” he said, barely louder than my breath. “It’s... something else. It’s been something else for a while. I just didn’t say it because I figured if I said it out loud, it’d fuck everything up.”
I met his eyes. “Say it now.”
BEN hesitated, like he was physically trying to wrestle the words up from somewhere deep.
Then he said, really quietly:
“I like you.”
My stomach flipped. My heart stopped. And my face was red.
He looked away immediately, like it physically hurt him to let it out. “F-Fuck, that’s so dumb. That sounded dumb.”
“It wasn’t...” I said, voice low.
He groaned softly. “I mean I actually like you. Not just... want you around. Not just the late-night stuff. Not just the teasing. Like... I like you. I don’t know what to do with it, I probably fucked it already, but...”
He finally looked at me again. His expression was different from his usual one. His pale face was blushy, red, his ears aswell, and his brows furrowed slightly as if he was in pain.
“I needed you to know.”
I stared at him for a long time.
BEN flinched slightly under it. “You can laugh now. Or kick me out. I deserve it.”
I just stood there, staring at him like I hadn’t expected it.
“Fuck, I knew that sounded stupid. Forget I said it. It’s fine. I’ll just—I’ll go, you can pretend I didn’t—”
“No—wait!”
I took a step forward.
He looked at me like I’d just pulled a gun.
And then, without thinking, I closed the distance between us and wrapped my arms around him.
His breath caught, like he hadn’t expected me to get near him again, let alone touch him. For a second, he didn’t move. Then, he rested his hands around my waist.
I could feel his heartbeat in his chest.
“I...” I swallowed. “I didn’t think you’d ever say it.”
He let out a breath against my shoulder. “I didn’t think I could.”
“I like you too.”
BEN went still.
Then his grip tightened just a little, like his body reacted before his brain could process it.
“H-Holy shit” he muttered.
I laughed nervousily. “Yeah.”
There was a long pause. One that should’ve been comforting.
But it wasn’t.
Because even though I meant it, even though every part of me felt something standing there in his arms, I also felt something else.
Guilt.
“BEN...” I pulled back slightly, enough to see his face. He looked... stunned. Blushing.
I had to say it.
“I like you” I repeated, slower this time. “But I also... like someone else.”
His face twitched. “Toby.”
I nodded, biting the inside of my cheek.
BEN looked away, tried to laugh, but it came out thin. “Of course you do.”
“Don’t do that.”
“I’m not—” he started, then stopped, corrected himself. “I’m not mad. I just... kind of expected it.”
“I’m not choosing,” I said quickly. “Not yet... I don’t even know what I’m doing. It’s confusing. I didn’t plan for any of this. You weren’t supposed to—”
“Wasn’t supposed to matter?”
“No.” I sighed. “You weren’t supposed to feel like this. Neither was he. And I didn’t think I’d be stuck in between both of you trying to pretend I had it figured out.”
“I’m not asking you to pick,” he said. “I’m not even sure what I’m asking. I just didn’t wanna keep pretending I didn’t care.”
“I don’t want to lie to you” I said. “Or hurt either of you.”
He gave a small nod. “Then don’t. Just... be honest. Even if it sucks.”
I smiled weakly. “That’s new. You letting me be honest without getting defensive.”
He snorted. “I’ve grown. I’m practically emotionally enlightened now.”
I leaned into him again, resting my forehead lightly against his shoulder. He smelled familiar.
“You sure you’re okay with this?” I asked softly.
“No,” he said. “But I’ll deal with it.”
I pulled away again to look at him. “Really?”
He shrugged. “I’m a possessive little gremlin by default, but I’m trying to grow or whatever. Jeff would be proud.”
“I doubt that.”
“You’re right. Jeff would mock me for this exact moment.”
I laughed again, and BEN smiled, a little crooked, and still very red in the face.
“You’re blushing” I teased.
“Shut up.”
“You are.”
“I literally just emotionally undressed in front of you, Lenora. Let me suffer in peace.”
I smiled wider. “It’s kinda cute.”
“Gross.”
“You like me. You said it.”
He groaned, dragging both hands down his face. “Can you stop bringing it up?”
“No.” I giggled.
He looked at me again, resigned, pink still coloring the tops of his ears. “So what now?”
I sat back down in the chair, exhaling slowly. “Now we figure it out."
He nodded, finally sitting on the floor beside me. “Sounds good.”
I reached out, laced my fingers gently through his. We sat in the quiet for a while, and for once, that was enough.
Chapter Text
When I woke up, the first thing I noticed was the warmth.
Not the kind from blankets or the sun peeking through the window—but the heat of a body pressed against mine, tangled in the sheets like we’d always been there. My cheek was nestled into the pillow, legs curled under the covers, and something firm was behind me, breathing slowly and warm, an arm lazily draped around my waist.
BEN.
Still asleep, barely. His breath tickled the back of my neck, and his hoodie had lifted up slightly, letting his bare stomach graze the small of my back with every exhale. Our legs were tangled. His knee hooked gently between mine, keeping me in place like I might slip away if he let go.
It was... sweet.
Because the fact that he’d stayed, even after everything yesterday, meant something. We’d barely spoken after the moment faded into exhaustion. But he crawled under my covers, pulled me close, and whispered something half-sarcastic like “Better be warm, princess” before passing out beside me like it was the most natural thing in the world.
And… he was still here.
His hand shifted against my waist, fingers curling unconsciously against the hem of my shirt. The rise and fall of his chest was pressed to my back, his thigh against mine, and his hand barely gripped the curve of my hip like he owned it in his sleep.
I smiled a little, barely awake. His words from last night from when he'd asked me to snuggle him to sleep drifted back into my mind;
“I missed you.”
So casual, like it didn’t make my heart cave in a little.
The sweet moment in my thoughts didn't last so long as I felt BEN pressing his hips against my backside.
I tensed slightly, but didn’t pull away. He moved again, slower this time, and there it was again, his hard-on pressing right up between my asscheeks through his sweats.
A breathy laugh escaped him, of course, while I was trying to keep myself from short-circuiting.
“Mornin’,” he muttered, voice rough, lazy. “You’re cozy.”
“...Are you grinding on me?”
“Not yet.” Another slow press of his hips. “But if I keep waking up like this, I might make it a tradition.”
“You’re unbelievable.”
“Uh-huh.” His hand slid over my stomach, fingers spreading across my skin. “And you’re really soft.”
I made a noise halfway between a groan and a laugh. “BEN.”
“Just appreciating my surroundings.”
He started moving for real now, little slow thrusts, dragging his hard member against me like it was the most natural thing in the world. I could feel the heat of him through the thin fabric. I gasped softly, my body reacting way faster than my brain.
“Oooh....” he murmured, close to my ear now. “That got a reaction.”
“You’re humping me in your sleep!”
He bit my shoulder gently. “Not sleeping anymore.”
His hand moved up, slipping under the hem of my shirt, slightly trembling fingers brushing over my ribs. Then higher, until he was cupping one of my breasts, thumb lazily rolling over my nipple.
“You sleep without a bra” he said, like it was a discovery. “You’re trying to ruin my life.”
“They’re not even big for me to—” I quickly, flusteredly let out, now hyperaware of my body.
“They’re mine right now” he cut in, giving a soft squeeze. “And they fit perfectly in my hand.”
I let out a shaky breath, pushing back against his hips without thinking. He groaned.
“Oh fuck...” he whispered. “You feel what you’re doing to me?”
“BEN—”
His hand slid down, grabbed a handful of my ass through my shorts, and slapped it.
I jolted, heat flaring across my face and chest. “BEN?! W-What was that?!”
“I panicked” he said, way too pleased with himself. “Also? Perfect ass. I’m allowed.”
He rolled me onto my back before I could respond, settling between my legs, and looked down at me like he’d just uncovered a glitch in the matrix.
“You’re so fucking pretty...” he murmured, like he was surprised. “Especially when you’re flustered.”
The compliment made my heart flutter like a butterfly. He sounded so genuine, so surprised... Like it was the first time he had ever looked at me. It made me feel all giddy and warm inside.
Then he leaned in and kissed me.
God, he kissed me like he was starving. Not soft, not gentle, just his tongue sliding over mine, stealing every breath. His hips started grinding again, just layers of cotton keeping him from sliding in.
His hands were everywhere, under my shirt, on my waist, gripping my thighs, palming my tits, pinching my nipples until I gasped.
And then… he stopped, suddenly.
“I–I... gotta say something,” he said, looking everywhere except my face. “And I swear to god if you laugh, I’m never talking to you again.”
I blinked. “Okay?”
“I haven’t… I mean. I’ve never actually. Y’know. Done it.”
I stared at him.
He looked like he wanted to phase through the floor.
“...You’re a virgin?”
He snapped, clearly flustered. “It’s just… it never happened. And I didn’t wanna just do it to get it over with... I wanted—fuck—I don’t know. Not feelings, just… you.”
He talked so much and it didn't even make sense, but all I could focus was how cute he looked when he was blushing. His pointy ears were red, and so was his whole face.
What a pretty boy...
“Oh my god” I said, stunned. “You’re you, and you’ve never had sex?”
“Don't start....”
“You’re constantly talking about pinning me and have so much confidence and—”
“So what???” he said, defensive. “Stop making fun of me!”
I burst out laughing.
He turned red. “I hate you.”
“No, you don’t.” I giggled.
He groaned, his now shy red eyes glancing at me. “Do you still wanna—?”
“BEN.” I grabbed the front of his shirt, yanked him down, and kissed him hard. “Yes. I want to.”
His eyes flicked to my mouth. “Thank fuck.”
I took his hand, guided it down between my legs.
He groaned again when he felt how soaked I was through the fabric. “Jesus. This is all for me?”
“...Do something about it” I whispered.
He shoved my shorts down, and his hand was on me. His fingers were spreading me, clumsy but eager, sliding through the wetness.
“H-Holy shit” he whispered, blinking. “You’re warm. You’re so fucking wet. I can’t believe this is real.”
He rubbed my clit, way too fast.
I whimpered.
“Wait, was that good?” He said, genuinely curious.
“A l-little slower.”
He nodded and went for it again, rubbing slow circles with his fingers.
“O-Oh..! Oh fuck—there!”
His grin was feral. Almost so disgustingly annoying if he wasn't so hot. “I’m learning so fast.”
“You’re a menace.”
“You like it.” He kissed me again. “You’re soaking my fingers and I haven’t even gotten my dick out.”
“Then do it.”
He kicked off his shorts. I gasped.
I was expecting something, but I certainly wasn't expecting that. A swirl of nerves danced in my belly, and I could feel my whole body heat up even more. It was so... big. In every way possible.
It got me worried for a second.
“...Okay, fuck.”
He flushed, grinning. “Bigger than expected?”
“BEN.”
“Bet you’re scared now.”
“A little..”
“Good.”
He stroked himself once, his cock already leaking, thick and twitching. Then he lined it up, dragged it slowly through my folds.
I moaned just from that. I could feel my nervousiness creeping up my back.
“You want it that bad?” he asked, pressing the head right against my entrance. He was trembling a bit, and I could feel he was nervous too. But one thing that BEN was good at, was to not ever let his nervousiness out.
“P-Put it in...”
"Say please." He teased.
"Please..."
He pushed forward and we both lost it. I felt it stretch me, and it wasn't even all the way in. I gasped loudly as he kept burying his cock deep into my womb, trying to adjust myself to his size.
“F-fuck—!” he gasped. “Oh my god—you’re pulling me in—you’re so fucking tight—how are you this warm—”
“BEN—fuck—!” I gasped, clutching at his arms as he bottomed out, his cock now buried deep inside me.
He started moving fast. And hard. Thrust after thrust, it was messy and desperate. Like he had no idea what he was actually doing, but was trying.
“First time—fuck—I’m inside you—this is pussy—this is real—!”
I moaned his name again and again, and he just kept talking, dirty and filthy.
“You’re mine now—gonna come inside you—gonna fuck you until you cry—you’re clenching like you don’t wanna let me go—fuck, you’re perfect—perfect—”
It wasn't long until I came hard, shaking and crying out. He just slammed in deeper as I did.
Then he came, flooding me with his heat.
“Lenora—fuck—I’m coming—fuck—fuck—yes—”
His body shook and I could feel his cock twitching inside me.
When he collapsed on top of me, panting, he was still smiling like a man who’d just tasted heaven for the first time.
“...S-So” he said, cheek pressed to my shoulder. “Was I okay?” His smug facade was turned off temporarily. It seemed like he was really concerned about wether he was okay or not.
It just made him more adorable to me.
I laughed. “You were insane.”
“Good” he murmured. “I want to be...”
I gently caressed his hair as he buried his face on my neck.
I was still panting.
Every part of me ached, in the good way. My thighs trembled, my lips were swollen, my skin slick with sweat.
His cock was still inside me.
I could feel him twitch.
Thick, buried to the hilt, slick with both of us. His cum was still hot, barely starting to leak out around the seal of us.
He hadn’t moved yet.
I wasn’t sure he could, honestly.
“...Lenora..” he muttered, after what felt like a full minute of silence. “That was…”
I giggled.
He lifted his head to look at me, his hair a total mess, with his cheeks flushed deep pink.
“I think I came like three separate times” he said.
I laughed softly. “Still hard, though.”
He blinked, glanced down between us.
And grinned.
“Well damn. Overachiever.”
I bit my lip. “You gonna stay in me forever?”
“Tempting,” he said, hips giving a lazy roll. “You’re still wet. Still so fucking tight. I think your pussy likes me.”
“BEN—”
Another slow thrust. Just a little grind of his hips.
Oh god—I felt it.
Not the frantic pace from before. This was slower. His cock dragged against every still-sensitive nerve as he eased out just an inch, then slid right back in.
I gasped, ans of course his grin widened.
“Ohh yeah.." he murmured, voice low and full of heat. “You’re still clenching, baby. That little pussy doesn’t wanna let me go.”
“Y-You’re such an asshole!”
“I just made you scream. I’m a hero.”
He thrust again—slowly.
My hands flew to his shoulders, clinging, legs wrapping around his waist.
“You like this?” he whispered. “Still stuffed full of cock, getting it slow now? After I already came inside you?”
“BEN—fuck—”
His hand slid down my side, fingers gripping my hip, guiding the angle as he rocked into me again, enough to make me moan.
“God, listen to you..." he breathed. “That little noise you make right when I push in? That’s mine.”
“S-Still talking?" panted.
“You love it,” he said, thrusting again. “You like being full of my cum. You like how I feel inside you. You’re gonna dream about it.”
He snorted. “I'm fucking imprinted on you.”
Another slow thrust.
He dragged it out this time, pulled back until just the head of his cock was inside, then pushed back in slow.
We both moaned.
“Still leaking...” he said, voice a little more dazed now. “You’re making a mess.”
“Y-You came in me...!”
He laughed. “And I’d do it again.”
He breathed. “Fuck, you feel so good, Lenora.”
His pace didn’t pick up. Just that same, steady rhythm. Deep slow thrusts of his hips, dragging along every sensitive spot, making me whimper every time he bottomed out. My body was already close again. I was still sensitive, still wrecked, and he was using it.
“Wanna make you come again” he murmured. “Like this. Nice and slow. Let you feel everything...”
“BEN—!"
“C’mon, baby” he said. “One more. You’ve got it in you.”
My breath caught, I squeezed my legs around him harder as I consistently whimpered and moaned.
“Yeah...” he whispered. “There it is. Right there. Come for me. Squeeze my cock again. Fucking milk it.”
I trembled hard around him, crying out his name again as I came for the second time, clenching so tight around his cock I felt him twitch.
“Shit—!” he gasped. “I’m—again—nghn!”
He came, hips grinding into me, still slow but deeply. His cock was spilling inside me again, heat spreading through me as he held there, panting, ruined..
He collapsed on top of me with a breathless, exhausted, dazed laugh.
“Okay” he said, lips brushing my neck. “Now I’m dead.”
“You were already dead.”
“Now I’m double dead.”
I ran my fingers through his hair. “Good first time?”
“Best first time anyone’s ever had” he said. “Objectively.”
He stayed inside me, not going anywhere.
And he didn’t stop smiling. I couldn't stop either.
Every nerve in my body was still buzzing, used and sore in the best way. My thighs trembled every time I moved. My neck had love bites. My hair was a mess.
He nuzzled into me, breath warm against my collarbone.
He mumbled. “That was definitely worth dying for. My soul has left my digital prison and entered your pussy. I’m free.”
I laughed, weak and breathless. “You’re disgusting.”
“And yet you’re still holding me.”
“You’re heavy.”
“You like it.”
I did.
His fingers traced lazy shapes across my stomach, sticky skin pressed to mine, sweat cooling but still clinging. The room smelled like sex. My sheets were a disaster.
“God” I muttered. “We ruined this bed.”
“Worth it.”
His voice was softer now, sleepy. That cocky edge was still there, but buried under something more real.
We lay there, tangled and quiet. For a few blissful minutes.
Until, of course...
Knock knock knock.
The sound punched through the room like a bomb.
BEN froze.
I sat up so fast my head spun. “Oh shit—”
Another knock, louder this time.
“Lenora!” came Jeff’s unmistakable voice, muffled through the door. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
BEN started laughing.
“Shut up!!!" I hissed, scrambling for the nearest piece of clothing—which happened to be his hoodie. I yanked it on, hair a mess, bare thighs on full display beneath it, but it was better than nothing.
“I swear” Jeff went on, tone flat and deeply annoyed, “if I have to hear one more high-pitched little ‘BEN, fuck, right there, fuck—’ I’m slitting my own ears.”
BEN howled, face buried in the pillow.
I flung the door open.
Jeff was standing there, arms crossed, hoodie slung over one shoulder, circles under his eyes darker than usual.
He stared at me.
Then looked past me to the bed, where BEN was very obviously naked and grinning like a shit-eating goblin.
Jeff looked back at me. “The walls aren’t soundproof.”
“I—sorry—!”
“Two hours, Lenora!!!”
“I said sorry.”
“You screamed his name six times!"
BEN called from the bed, “Eight, actually. I counted.”
Jeff stared at me another beat. “Tell your boyfriend if he doesn’t shut the hell up next time, I’m putting a knife through the Wi-Fi router.”
He turned and walked off.
I slowly shut the door, heart pounding.
Behind me, BEN was still cackling.
“God, I love living here.”
I threw a pillow at his head.
The sun was already low when we finally emerged from my room.
Freshly showered, hair towel-dried, clean clothes, no visible hickeys (though that took effort). BEN had insisted on leaving one, low on my neck where only he knew it was there, and every time I turned my head, I could feel it, like a private secret pulsing under my skin.
We walked down the hall like we hadn’t been naked and tangled together all morning, like my bed didn’t still smell like sweat and sex. My hoodie was slung over my shoulder, and he was walking just a little too close—his fingers brushing mine, his mouth still curved in that low, dangerous grin.
“Don’t look at anyone” I muttered under my breath.
He leaned in. “Too late.”
We stepped into the living room.
And every head turned.
The TV was on. Some horror movie on mute. The coffee table was covered in snacks. Slenderman’s antique lamp was flickering in the corner like it was trying to spare us.
And the entire room went dead silent.
Then—
“Oh my fuuucking god,” Jeff groaned, throwing his head back like he was in pain. “They’re here.”
Eyeless Jack actually covered his face with one hand. “Jesus. I thought you two were gonna stay locked in that room forever.”
Nina was grinning. “Look at them. Look at that post-fuck energy. That’s what that is.”
“I do not want to see it." Jane said dramatically, shielding her eyes.
BEN raised an eyebrow. “What energy?”
Jeff pointed a knife at him. “Don’t play dumb. You know what you did.”
“We took a nap” I said calmly.
“Oh yeah?” Jeff turned to the room. “Hey, who here heard the nap happening this morning?”
Hands went up. Eyeless Jack raised two.
BEN just smirked.
“Bro" Jeff continued, voice rising, “I was just about to fall back asleep when all I heard was ‘BEN—fuck—BEN—right there—’ and I swear to god I almost stabbed my pillow.”
“I counted seven ‘fuck me’s” Nina added helpfully.
“Eight." BEN said, not missing a beat.
I covered my face with both hands. “Can we not—”
“I’m filing a complaint with the management,” Jeff said. “You blew out my chance at morning peace, you little glitchy goblin.”
“Then get headphones” BEN replied, flipping him off casually as he walked by. “Not my fault you’re a light sleeper.”
From the couch, Toby was dead silent.
Sitting on the edge, hoodie sleeves pushed up, hands clasped between his knees. He didn’t look at me. Didn’t look at anyone.
Just stared at BEN. If looks could kill, BEN would’ve crashed like a corrupted file.
“Oh noooo” BEN muttered, catching it. “Here comes Mr. Stutter.”
Toby’s jaw clenched. He didn’t speak. Just stared.
BEN stared right back, slow grin spreading.
Then raised both hands and flipped him off.
“Jealousy’s a disease, bro.” he said sweetly. “Hope you recover.”
Toby looked like he was about to snap his clipboard in half.
“BEN!” I whispered, nudging him. "We've talked about this??"
“What? I’m just stretching.”
I took a seat as far from the couch as I could manage without making it obvious, BEN collapsing into the armchair beside me with all the subtlety of a boy who knew he just rocked someone’s world.
Jane rolled her eyes. “If you guys are gonna make a habit of this, can you at least soundproof the room?”
“You should be grateful” BEN replied. “My virginity loss was a public service.”
Eyeless Jack groaned. "Please never say that again."
“God, I hate this house.” Jeff muttered.
“I think it’s beautiful” Nina said, sipping from a mug. “Young love. Loud, shameless, reckless love...”
“More like ‘BEN got his dick wet and now we all suffer.’” Jeff replied.
Toby still hadn’t said a word. But he hadn’t looked away either.
Not from me. Not once.
BEN had disappeared about fifteen minutes ago, muttering something like “Don’t let Jeff touch the Wii while I’m gone” and ghosted down the hall, hoodie sleeves flapping.
The room was noisy, but none of it touched me. Jane was retelling some half-exaggerated story about a botched hunt. Jeff was mock-arguing with Jack. Nina was painting her nails blood red on the rug. Same chaos as always.
But Toby?
Toby hadn’t said a word.
He sat on the far end of the couch, forearms on his knees, hood down, hair a mess, fingers twitching in and out of his sleeves like he was working up to something. His stare had weight. It hadn’t moved from me since BEN left.
I kept pretending not to notice.
Didn’t work.
He moved closer to me. Shoulders rising, jaw locking. His leg bounced twice before he forced it still. Then finally his voice, low and a little rough, broke through everything.
“S-s-so… uh…”
I looked up.
He licked his lips, blinked hard, like his brain was buffering. “Y-you and, uh… BEN. I-is that… is it, uh… a th-thing?”
I stared at him a second too long.
Then shook my head. “...Not a thing.”
His shoulders twitched. “N-n-not a t-together t-thing?”
“Not really...” I said. “It’s just… casual.”
He nodded, slow and stiff. “O-oh. Just… f-fuck b-buddies?”
I blinked. “Wow, okay.”
He twitched a little at his own bluntness. “S-sorry. I-I j-just. Y-you two are, uh… l-loud.”
That made me laugh—quiet, awkward. “Oh god.”
He looked off to the side, jaw tensing. “D-didn’t m-m-mean t-to sound like a dick. I j-just… w-wasn’t sure.”
“Sure about what?”
He exhaled hard through his nose. “W-whether I, uh… c-could say a-anything.”
My brows lifted. “Say anything like what?”
His eyes flicked to mine. “L-like… like I c-could t-t-talk to you like t-this.”
A beat passed between us.
“You always can, Toby...”
He blinked at me. Then, out of nowhere, he huffed a laugh—dry and nervous. “N-not with him a-a-around. C-cuz he thinks h-he owns you,” Toby muttered. “Walks around like h-he’s got a l-lock on you.”
“He doesn’t, don't worry about it.” I snorted.
“I k-kinda f-f-figured. J-just had t-t-to h-hear it.”
Another pause.
He licked his lips again, leg bouncing under him, but this time he didn’t stop it.
“L-look...” he said, glancing around to make sure no one was listening, “I d-don’t wanna st-start drama or s-some shit. I-I’m not g-gonna throw hands a-a-again over, like… whatever th-this is.”
“You mean whatever it isn’t.”
He gave a small, crooked smile. “R-right.”
Then his tone changed. “B-but, uh. H-heard you.”
My stomach tightened. “You heard me?”
He nodded once. “T-this m-m-morning.”
“Toby—”
“You s-s-sounded…” He looked away for half a second, then back. “W-wrecked.”
I swallowed.
He tilted his head. “J-just w-w-wondering if that’s… the b-best he c-can do.”
My breath caught. I could feel myself getting red.
“I-I mean…” He shifted forward, elbows on his knees now. “M-maybe that was h-his best. M-maybe th-that’s just what it is. L-loud, messy, p-predictable.”
“That’s not—”
He cut in, gently. “I-I could make it… d-different.”
I stared.
“I a-already s-showed you a b-bit before...” he said. “I-I’m just saying… I-I’d care more.” His cheeks were visibly red under his mouthguard, and his breathing was heavy.
“You d-don’t gotta say a-anything,” he added, voice softer now, almost embarrassed. “I j-just… thought m-maybe you should h-hear it from s-s-someone who, y’know… who 's-saw' you. B-before him.”
My heart was racing. My mouth was suddenly dry.
“Y-You think I m-made a mistake?” He asked, barely above a whisper.
“No... I think you did what you–we wanted..."
He stood, suddenly, like he had to move before the words started choking him.
He reached into the pocket of his hoodie. Pulled out a small, folded square of paper.
Oddly familiar situation.
“I-I know we l-live in the s-s-same house,” he muttered. “B-but, uh. In case y-you… ever wanna t-talk. Or m-maybe not t-talk.”
He handed me the paper.
I took it slowly. Unfolded it.
His phone number. Just that. No name. No flourish.
I looked up.
“Toby…”
He met my eyes.
And for once, he didn't stutter.
“No pressure.”
Then he turned, hands shoved in his hoodie pocket, and walked out of the room.
And I sat there, gripping the paper, every part of me burning. Including my own brain.
The living room had gone quiet again.
BEN hadn’t come back. Toby hadn’t either.
I was still holding that piece of paper. Still replaying the conversation in my head. That stare. His voice. The way he handed me his number like it wasn’t a big deal, like I wasn’t still warm from someone else’s hands.
I folded it up and tucked it into my pocket, just as footsteps creaked on the hardwood.
I turned.
Clockwork stepped in, her hands gloved, her expression unreadable as usual. The ticking from the gears near her eye gave her away before she even spoke.
“There you are!” she said, voice cool.
I straightened up. “What’s up?”
She walked over, gaze scanning me like she was evaluating a car she was about to upgrade. “Slendy wanted to me to congratulate you.”
“Oh. Right. The mission.”
Clockwork nodded once, approving. “It’s time.”
“Time for what?”
She cocked her head, smiling faintly. “Your mark.”
I blinked. “Wait. Really?”
“You killed. On assignment. No hesitation, no fuckups. That means you’re in.” She gestured to the back of my neck. “Hair up.”
I stared at her.
“You’re serious.”
“Dead serious.”
I hesitated, then pulled my hair up and out of the way, feeling my heart beat a little faster.
Clockwork stepped behind me.
“You’ll feel a sting” she said, already pulling something out from her coat. The soft sound of metal tools shifting. “But it’ll pass. And when it’s done, you’re not a newbie anymore.”
I nodded.
She didn’t ask if I was ready.
Didn’t need to.
I heard the click of something thin and sharp, and then—scratch.
I winced. Not from pain, it wasn’t bad, just sharp. Clockwork’s hand was steady as she carved the symbol into my skin: the mark all proxies wore somewhere, most of them hidden.
Her voice was low as she worked. “Right above the spine. Great!”
I kept still. “What does it mean?”
She was quiet for a beat. Then: “That you’re one of us. No matter what happens next.”
The metal lifted from my skin, and I could feel the blood welling up around the edges of the mark.
Then, soft fabric tapping against the sting.
“All done.”
I exhaled.
Clockwork walked around to face me again, eyes scanning mine.
“You don’t look scared” she said.
“I’m not.”
“Good.”
She handed me a small mirror, and I turned it to catch the reflection behind me.
A fresh mark. Still red. A little raw.
But mine.
“Welcome to the family” she said simply, gripping my shoulder gently.
Then turned and walked out, gears ticking softly with every step.
The sun had dipped just low enough to turn the air crisp. Lenora had decided to take a walk through the woods, to maybe cool off some steam due to the consistent short circuit of her brain today.
The mansion behind her was still loud.
She wandered the edge of the woods, boots soft in the underbrush, following no real trail. The pine trees stretched tall, swaying gently, casting long shadows across the clearing. It smelled like leaves and ash, like a campfire that burned out hours ago.
That’s when she caught the scent.
Cigarette smoke.
She didn’t need to look hard.
Masky was leaned up against a tree not far ahead, cigarette between his fingers, hoodie pulled up tight over his frame. The bottom half of his mask was lifted just enough to let him smoke. His gaze tracked her as she approached, but he didn’t say anything right away.
She stopped beside him, close but not too close, arms wrapped around herself.
“Didn’t expect anyone out here” she said quietly.
He gave a small shrug. “Didn’t think you’d be walking.”
She looked down at her boots. “Just needed to get out.”
He took a slow drag, the tip of the cigarette flaring orange. “You alright?”
She hesitated, eyes flicking up to him.
“Yeah,” she said. “I’m okay.”
A pause.
“Im glad though" he added, like he couldn’t help himself. “You didn't seem so good, back in your room. That night.”
Lenora’s chest tightened. Her throat closed around something, but she nodded.
“I know.”
“You didn’t say anything then.”
“I didn’t have the words.”
“You didn’t have to.”
They stood there, the wind rustling above them. She didn’t step away. He didn’t either.
Eventually, she moved down into the grass, lowering herself slowly, sitting cross-legged and resting her arms over her knees. He stayed standing a moment longer, then flicked the cigarette off into the dirt, crushed it with his boot, and sat beside her with a low exhale.
They didn’t speak for a few minutes.
The silence wasn’t heavy. It just sat there.
Then, out of nowhere, Masky said; "You were good. Yesterday.”
She blinked. “What?”
“The mission.”
He was looking out across the trees, not at her.
“You were fast” he said. “Didn’t hesitate. Clean kill. It looked—” He stopped. “It was solid work.”
Lenora shifted. “Thanks.”
“You’re good with that hammer.”
“I’ve had a good teacher.” She snorted.
“That humming thing you do,” he added. “Before you hit.”
She glanced at him, surprised. “You noticed that?”
He nodded once. “Fucks with their heads. Makes ’em slow. You use it well.”
She didn’t say anything for a second.
“Thanks” she said again, softer.
He just nodded.
She leaned back until her shoulders hit the earth, her eyes falling closed. The tension in her spine unwound slowly, the hum of adrenaline finally fading out of her veins.
Masky sat still beside her.
She didn’t see him glance over. Didn’t see his eyes trace the way her lashes touched her cheeks, how her mouth parted slightly as she breathed deeper, how calm her expression looked for once, like the storm inside her had finally broken into something gentle.
He felt it in his chest, low and stupid. A flutter. The kind that hit out of nowhere and made you feel ridiculous for noticing.
He remembered her in the basement weeks ago. How she leaned back against the wall like this, breathing quiet in the dark, eyes shut, her voice soft when she finally spoke. He remembered watching her then, too.
His chest tightened again.
He looked away.
When she sat back up, her hair fell forward over one shoulder. She didn’t say anything at first—just reached back and touched the nape of her neck, her fingers brushing lightly over the gauze where Clockwork had pressed down the fresh proxy mark.
Masky glanced at her.
“You got it.”
She nodded, rubbing the bandage absently. “Yeah. Earlier today.”
He gave a short nod. “You’re one of us now.”
“I guess I am.”
“No more 'newbie'” he said. “No more ‘new girl.’”
She laughed. “God, I’m glad. You know how many times I’ve heard that?”
He gave a small huff of agreement.
She nudged him gently with her elbow, eyes flicking up to meet his. For a second, neither looked away.
She didn’t tease him. Didn’t joke.
She just looked. And she stayed close.
"I like your eyes." She stated, blushing slightly at the comment. It was like the words had came out of her before she even moved her mouth to speak.
Masky tensed up slightly, a slight hue of pink blooming underneath his mask. He wasn't expecting that at all.
He looked away, cleared his throat.
"Oh. Uh. Thank you." He glanced over to her again. "...Yours are pretty too."
He mentally cursed at himself for having used the word "pretty". Lenora caught on it, and giggled quietly while blushing and looking away, her hand half covering her face.
"I'll go back inside now. See ya." She said with an awkward smile, the tension from the eye contact still thick on her chest.
Masky nodded and gave her a small wave as he watched her leave.
"Fuck. Maybe Hoodie is right."
I should’ve known something was up when I walked into the living room and all three of them — Clockwork, Jane, and Nina — stopped talking the second I entered.
It wasn’t subtle. Not even a little. Nina was mid-sip from her soda can and nearly choked trying to smother a grin. Clockwork raised an eyebrow at me like she’d been waiting to pounce. And Jane? Jane just gave me that all-knowing stare, like she’d already written the entire script of what was about to happen and was just waiting for me to hit my mark.
I narrowed my eyes and flopped down on the couch with the dramatics of someone who definitely didn’t have a guilty conscience.
“What.” I said flatly, dragging the word out.
Nina immediately exploded into a fit of giggles. “Oh, nothing, Lenora. Just girl talk.”
Clockwork leaned back in the armchair, her boot resting casually on the coffee table. “Yeah, you know. Typical stuff. Like how the entire house was awake this morning because someone forgot to put a silencing sigil on their door.”
My blood turned to steam.
“Oh my god—” I grabbed a throw pillow and smashed it against my face. “No. No, no, no, you’re not doing this.”
Jane tilted her head, sipping her tea way too calmly. “You know, I’ve lived here a long time. Heard some… sounds. But that?” She raised her brows pointedly. “That was impressive.”
Nina dissolved into full-blown cackling.
I groaned so hard it felt like my soul was trying to evacuate my body. “Kill me. Please. Just kill me.”
“Oh no,” Clockwork said, smug, “you don’t get to die. Not until you spill.”
“I am not discussing my sex life with the murder girlfriends club.”
Nina leaned over, grinning devilishly. “Babe, you don’t need to. We already know who was in there with you. We heard it like ten times.”
My eyes darted toward the hallway instinctively, like BEN might suddenly materialize and make this even worse. “It’s not—okay, yes, it was BEN. But it’s not what you think.”
“Sounded exactly like what I think,” Clockwork muttered, earning a snort from Jane.
I buried my face deeper in the pillow. “I hate all of you.”
“Aw, sweetie, we love you too!” Nina chirped, patting my leg. “Now. Details.”
“Ugh. Fine.” I sat up slowly, cheeks still burning. “Look, BEN and I are… it’s not a thing. We’re just messing around, okay? He flirts, I flirt back, and sometimes that ends in—y’know. Stuff. It doesn’t mean anything.”
Jane’s eyes softened just slightly. “But does it mean something to you?”
I hesitated. “Sometimes… I think it does? I dont even know. He acts like an ass half the time, but there are these moments, y’know? Like he cares. But then he’ll go right back to glitching the TV like a gremlin with ADHD and pretend nothing happened.”
Clockwork nodded thoughtfully. “Classic gamer boy behavior.”
“And it’s not just BEN....!” Nina added, twirling a strand of her hair. “I’ve seen the way Toby looks at you.”
My heart stuttered. “Toby and I—ugh, that’s complicated.”
“So not just a one-time kiss during training?” Clockwork raised a brow.
I winced. “Okay, yes, that happened. And yeah, there’s been some stuff since. I don’t know what to do with it. He’s sweet, in his own weird way. He looks at me like I’m something important. And BEN looks at me like he wants to ruin me.. And part of me is into both.”
Nina clutched her imaginary pearls. “Scandalous.”
Jane leaned in a little, voice low and even. “So you’re stuck between them.”
“....Yep.” I admitted, hands twisting in my lap. “BEN and I aren’t exclusive—It’s all games and tension and kissing until it’s not. And Toby… I think he’s scared. Of ruining something.”
For a moment, there was silence.
Then Clockwork let out a small sigh and said, “Okay, full honesty? I dated Toby once.”
I blinked. “Wait, what?”
Jane turned to her slowly. “You what?”
Nina gasped dramatically. “You did not! When?”
“Years ago” Clockwork said, waving it off. “Short-lived, awkward, and not even that dramatic. He was sweet, but I was confused, and he was… emotionally blocked, to say the least. I ended it when I realized he wasn’t the problem.” She glanced at us with a wry smile. “Turns out I like girls. Exclusively.”
“Oh my god,” I muttered, staring at her. “This whole house is just a walking fanfic...”
Clockwork smirked. “Tell me about it.”
Nina clapped. “We should start a podcast!”
Jane actually looked like she was considering it.
I leaned back against the cushions, heart still racing from all the emotional whiplash. “So what do I do?”
“Don’t rush it” Jane said softly. “You don’t owe either of them a decision until you’re ready.”
“Exactly,” Clockwork agreed. “Let them stew. If one of them cracks and confesses, bonus points.”
“Or,” Nina said brightly, “just date them both and let the drama unfold. I’m so here for it.”
I groaned again. “You’re all the worst.”
“And yet,” Nina grinned, “you keep hanging out with us.”
…Yeah. I really did.
And despite how mortifying it all was… it felt kinda nice.
Safe.
Chapter Text
~3RD PERSON POV~
Ever since BEN lost his virginity to Lenora, their so-called “no strings attached” arrangement had spiraled into something borderline feral.
They were doing it everywhere. The hallway. The laundry room. The east wing closet—twice! There was a particular incident involving a windowsill that everyone in the mansion had agreed to never speak of again.
The worst part wasn’t just the locations. It was the noise. BEN was loud, and Lenora wasn’t much better. And the Slendermansion, old and echoey and cursed as it was, was not built for privacy, AT ALL. At first, the others tolerated it. But after a week of 2AM moans echoing through the vents, doors being accidentally opened to some pretty compromising sights, and one traumatic morning where Eyeless Jack walked in on them near the fridge—people were over it.
This morning was no different.
BEN’s room was dimly lit, as usual—monitors glowing, game paused on the screen. Lenora was straddling him in his gamer chair, flushed and breathless, trying not to make noise. Emphasis on trying.
“Fuck, BEN!” she gasped, voice cracking just enough to echo off the walls.
BEN, panting against her neck, grinned with zero shame. “God, you sound heavenly. So hot.”
And that was the last straw.
The door slammed open so hard it rattled the posters off the wall.
“BENJAMIN!”
They both froze.
BEN was still inside her. Lenora was frozen mid-movement. Both of them stared in horror at the towering, faceless figure in the doorway.
Slenderman looked like he had just walked into an exorcism.
“Shut. The FUCK. Up,” he thundered. “There are CHILDREN in this mansion, BEN. CHILDREN.”
“I—” BEN squeaked. He squeaked. “Okay! Okay! Sorry! We’ll be quiet!”
Lenora was scrambling to cover herself with BEN’s hoodie, trying to crawl off him and melt directly into the floor.
Slenderman’s voice dropped lower, dead serious. “This is the third time this week. If I have to hear one more of your goddamn anime-level moans echoing through the vent system, I swear I will phase you both into a different dimension.”
“YES, SIR.” BEN said with military precision, saluting with the controller in his hand.
Slenderman stood there for another agonizing second, his entire aura radiating disgust, before turning and vanishing down the hallway without another word.
Silence.
BEN blinked, still half-hard, half-horrified. “Sooo… that was the hottest thing Slender’s ever said to me.”
Lenora wordlessly picked up the nearest pillow and smacked him in the face.
And just like that, the gamer chair was permanently retired from their rotation.
~Lenora’s POV~
I wanted to die.
Not in the cute, “ugh I’m so embarrassed lol” way.
Like, actually. Crawl into a vent and disappear forever. Slender wouldn’t need to banish us—I'd do it myself.
The second BEN and I stepped into the living room, every head turned like we’d just walked in covered in glowing neon letters that said WE FUCKED.
BEN looked thrilled. Of course he did.
His smirk locked and loaded like nothing had happened. Like he hadn’t just gotten us both yelled at by an ancient, faceless murder-being who sounded this close to snapping the Wi-Fi router in half.
“WELL” Jeff said, already grinning like a knife. “Look who survived the apocalypse.”
“Oh my god!” Nina gasped, sitting up from the rug, eyes bright. “You guys are alive.”
“Barely.” Jane added, sipping her tea way too calmly. “I thought Slender was going to exorcise you both through the floorboards.”
BEN threw his arms out like a magician finishing a trick. “Hey. We didn’t break anything.”
“You broke my soul” Jeff said. “You know what it’s like to hear anime-grade moaning through the vents while I’m brushing my teeth?”
“I warned you” BEN said, grinning. “Get headphones.”
“Or a gun.”
Clockwork leaned against the wall. “You realize Slender’s voice carried through the entire mansion, right?”
“‘There are CHILDREN in this house, BENJAMIN!’ ” Nina quoted dramatically, holding an imaginary staff.
“I swear, the walls shook.." Jack muttered from the kitchen.
I dropped into the corner of the couch, hoodie zipped to my chin, my hair still damp and very much in do not perceive me mode.
My cheeks were on fire.
“Can we not?” I mumbled.
“Oh no" Nina said brightly. “We absolutely can.”
Jeff pretended to vomit.
God, I wanted to throw BEN out a window.
And yet… my chest still fluttered.
It was ridiculous.
We’d just gotten publicly scolded by Slenderman, and somehow BEN was glowing like he’d been knighted. Meanwhile, I was vibrating with embarrassment and trying to disappear into a couch that smelled like popcorn and blood.
But that’s when I saw him. Toby.
He was sitting across the room, in the shadowed corner of the couch, slouched low with his hood up and hands clasped in front of him.
At first I didn’t think anything of it—But something was different.
I looked up, and his eyes were already on me.
I froze.
It wasn’t shy, or awkward. It wasn’t Toby, the jittery, muttering guy who stammered compliments and blinked too hard when I laughed.
This was hatred, or something very close.
His stare was flat. Still. So still it scared me.
I looked away so fast my neck cracked.
My chest tightened. That flutter? Gone.
BEN kept talking, bantering with Jeff, throwing in jokes about how “next time I’ll just install a silencing sigil” laughing like this was just another story for his internal highlight reel.
He didn’t notice.
Not Toby, and not the way my whole body stiffened.
I couldn’t even glance back.
Because if I did, I knew I’d still see that look. He’d said everything in that one stare.
And I had no idea what to do with it.
I was still trying to breathe normally.
So when Clockwork finally spoke up, her voice sharp and neutral, it startled me.
“So” she said casually, flipping through a worn-out paperback she wasn’t even pretending to read. “Nina wants to throw a thing later.”
I blinked. “A thing?”
“A party” Clockwork clarified, flicking her gaze up at me over the book. “Drinks. Music. One of her ‘let’s-dress-up-and-make-bad-decisions’ moods.”
“Oh” I said, and realized too late that I didn’t sound cool at all. “Yeah. Sure. I’m in.”
I wasn’t really thinking.
I just wanted something else to focus on. I felt BEN’s arm looping casually around my shoulders.
My body jerked in surprise.
He leaned in, mouth too close to my ear.
“You at a party” he murmured, smug as hell. “With alcohol?”
My face was on fire.
“I’m dying to know what kind of drunk you are” BEN continued, voice all syrup and ego. “Clingy? Flirty? Do you cry? Or... get handsy?”
I opened my mouth to reply—but nothing came out.
The entire room groaned in sync.
“BEN...” Clockwork said flatly.
“Christ" Jack muttered. “You’re allergic to subtlety.”
“Bro” Jeff added, “I swear to god, If you spend half the party moaning like a bitch in heat, I’m throwing you out a window.”
BEN grinned. “No promises.”
I was still sitting there, frozen under his arm, brain short-circuiting while my heart went into overdrive. His hoodie sleeve was soft against my neck. His fingers were resting just below my collarbone.
It was enough to make me forget how to function.
Except—I still felt it, that burn. Toby’s stare hadn’t gone away.
I knew it without turning.
His silence filled the room louder than anything BEN said. And I didn’t know if it made me feel wanted, or warned.
I just knew I was officially fucked. In so many ways.
The party had hit its groove about thirty minutes in.
Nothing wild. Just the usual blend of weird energy, bad horror movies on mute in the background, bottles clinking, everyone too used to death to be bothered by loud music or bloodstains.
I was on my second drink, leaned up between Nina and Clockwork on the old couch, legs folded beneath me, plastic cup loose in my hand. Jane sat across from us, sipping something clear and definitely not water. We were mid-laugh over Nina’s story about nearly getting caught stealing lipstick during a body disposal when I felt it—the weight of someone watching.
BEN was across the room, locked in some loud, animated fake argument with Jeff, something about whose kill count was higher. He was using the same damn black sleeveless top again, of course, voice raised like he wanted me to hear every smug word.
I ignored him... Sort of.
My chest was warm—too warm. I chalked it up to the vodka.
Clockwork nudged me and gestured toward the drink in my hand. “Thats your second or third?”
“Second” I said, then winced. “...Okay, third.”
Nina snorted. “She’s getting loose.”
“I am not—”
“Oh god,” Jane deadpanned. “She’s a giggler.”
“I’m not—!”
But I was.
I could feel it—the heat in my cheeks, the looseness in my limbs, the way the music suddenly felt a little better. I was smiling too much. Laughing too fast. I was just tipsy.
Just warm.
Just stupid.
That was when he walked up.
“Uh… h-hey.”
My head snapped up.
Toby looked… clean. Hoodie zipped, hair a little messy in a way that wasn’t deliberate. Gloves on. Shoulders hunched slightly like he regretted standing up in the first place.
But his voice? Soft. Shaky. Barely above the music.
“C-can I, uh… t-talk to y-you? F-for a s-s-second?”
The girls went silent.
My chest did something I didn’t like.
I nodded slowly, trying to play it off like it was nothing. “Yeah. Sure.”
He gestured for me to follow, awkwardly, and I peeled myself off the couch, ignoring the barely-hidden smirks that followed me. I didn’t look towards BEN, but I felt his presence shift, his voice cut off for just a second.
I was starting to be too tipsy to care.
Toby led me a few steps toward the edge of the room, away from the noise, near the wall by the antique lamp that always flickered when someone walked past it.
We stood in that little pocket of half-shadow, and he turned towards me, shifting his weight like he didn’t know how to stand.
I smiled. “You okay?”
He shrugged. “Y-yeah. J-Just, uh… y-you didn’t t-t-text m-me.”
I blinked.
It took a second.
The number...
That folded square of paper he gave me days ago. I'd shoved it in my pocket and forgotten it the second BEN opened his mouth to say something ridiculous.
My stomach twisted.
“I—I forgot,” I said honestly, biting the inside of my cheek. “I’m sorry...”
He nodded, a little too fast.
“It's o-okay. I j-just… t-thought m-maybe you d-didn’t want t-t-to.”
“That’s not it.”
He looked at me.
His eyes flicked up and down my face, and I could feel the sentence building in his throat.
“It’s b-because of h-h-him, r-right?”
There it was. He didn't say it with anger, or like an accusation. He said it flat. Quietly.
I hesitated.
“No,” I said. Too quick. “I mean—not really. We’re not…”
He didn’t look convinced.
His jaw clenched. That tic in his cheek fluttered.
“Y-You’re always with h-h-him now,” he said softly. “You smile d-d-different w-when he t-talks. E-Even if h-he’s an a-asshole.”
My heart skipped.
“That’s not fair,” I whispered. “You don’t know what happens when it’s just us.”
“I k-know he m-makes y-y-you l-laugh.”
“You do too.”
His eyes flicked up.
I didn’t mean to say that. But it was true. I could feel the alcohol jumbling my words.
He blinked fast, and for a second I thought he was going to look away again—but he didn’t.
He stepped just a little closer.
“Y-you look g-good tonight,” he said, awkwardly, voice cracking. “I m-m-mean. You a-always d-do. But… y-you’re… g-glowing, or—s-something.”
“Toby…”
“I j-j-just w-wanted to be n-near you,” he said, tripping over the words but pushing through them anyway. “Y-you’re a-always in the m-middle of e-e-everything, but I can never… I n-never say the r-right thing. I g-get s-s-stuck. Or I o-overthink it. Or he i-interrupts.”
“He’s not interrupting now.”
That came out fasten than I meant it to be.
Toby took another step.
We were close enough that I could smell the soft scent of him.
“I d-don’t w-wanna s-s-scare you o-off,” he whispered.
“You’re not.”
His hand twitched at his side.
He didn’t reach for me. But I felt the want in it.
“I w-would’ve t-texted you f-first,” he said. “But I d-didn’t w-wanna be a-annoying.”
“You wouldn’t have been.”
Silence pressed in. My head was spinning at this point, and I wasn't sure if it was just from the drinks.
His eyes—soft, dark, wide—flicked to my mouth.
And stayed.
I felt my breath hitch.
My heart was tripping all over itself again, confused and flustered and too full. I didn’t move. He wasn’t touching me, but it felt like he was.
I wasn’t drunk yet, just tipsy.
But I was reeling.
From him.
From this.
From the fact that BEN was just across the room, and somehow—somehow—it was Toby making my pulse race.
“I’ll…” he stepped back, swallowing. “I’ll let y-you get b-back. I j-just…”
He smiled.
“W-Was good t-talking.”
I nodded. “Yeah. It was.”
He turned away and disappeared back into the edge of the party, hoodie melting into the shadows like it always did.
I exhaled.
And immediately reached for another drink, and another.
And another.
I was definitely drunk now.
Not slurring, not falling-over kind of drunk—but just enough that I couldn’t quite feel the floor under my feet. My limbs were too light. My thoughts too loud.
I’d lost count of how many drinks Nina handed me and how many I had reached for myself ever since I talked with Toby.
BEN was still somewhere across the room, distracted, deep in conversation or maybe arguing again with Jeff over some game or kill count or whose boots were bloodier. I couldn’t hear them clearly.
Masky had gone outside. Hoodie followed. Typical silent exit.
I was wobbling my way through the hallway, trying to find the damn bathroom or maybe a chair or maybe gravity when I bumped into someone solid and warm.
I blinked.
“T-Toby?”
He caught me before I could pitch sideways. “W-Woah—hey. Y-you okay?”
His voice was quiet. His hands steady on my arms.
I grabbed onto his hoodie like it was a lifeline.
“I’m fiiine” I said, too loud. “Just—just kinda floaty. ..Your face looks so nice tonight.”
Toby’s brows flew up, and his cheeks went pink. “Wh-what?”
“Like…” I hiccuped. “You always look kinda… a-awkward. But right now you look soft.”
He swallowed.
“Y-You’re s-s-smashed.”
“I’m not smashed. I’m just…” I leaned into him without meaning to, my cheek brushing against the curve of his shoulder. “I’m tipsy and confused and… warm. You’re so warm.”
Toby tensed like I’d poured ice water down his back.
His hands hovered near my waist. “L-Lenora…”
“I think you’re sweet.”
He blinked. “...W-what?”
“You’re sweet. You’re k-kind. You’re… gentle with me. You look at me like I’m not gonna break but also like you’d kill someone if they hurt me.”
His breathing changed.
“I—I l-like you.”
Silence. I could hear his own heartbeat.
“I mean,” I blurted, “I like BEN too. I still like BEN. But I think I like you too. Is that bad? That’s bad, right?”
Toby’s hands twitched like he didn’t know what to do with them. “I—it’s not—y-you’re drunk, y-you don’t g-gotta—”
“I mean it.”
He swallowed hard. His jaw twitched. His cheek ticced. But his eyes never left mine.
“C-c’mon,” he said softly. “This—this p-place is too l-l-loud.”
He led me down the hallway, slow and careful, and pushed open an old storage room door. It creaked like a horror movie cliché, but inside it was dim, quiet, and smelled faintly of dust and forgotten things.
He helped me sit down on an old bench beside the wall, then crouched in front of me.
“Y-You o-okay n-now?” he asked gently.
I nodded, then reached out without thinking and brushed a strand of hair from his face.
He flinched—but didn’t move away.
“You’re always so nervous around me” I murmured.
“C-cuz you m-make my brain s-stop working.”
My heart thumped.
There was something so raw about him like this, half flustered, half determined, eyes darting between mine like he didn’t know if he wanted to run or lean closer.
So I did it for him, and kissed him.
Just once.
He didn’t move at first.
But then—his hands caught my waist.
And he kissed me back. Like he’d been waiting forever for me to kiss him back.
Toby kissed me like he was terrified to do it wrong,like he thought I’d vanish if he got too close. It was like that kiss he gave me before, but this time... It was more mutual That made me want to get closer.
When we finally broke apart, his eyes were wide. His hands had stilled on my hips, and his breath was shaky against the space between us.
“Y-you k-k-kissed me..” he whispered, like he couldn’t believe it.
“I did” I murmured, still breathless.
“Y-You’re d-drunk.”
“I’m not that drunk.”
He opened his mouth, probably to argue. I cut him off.
“I remember everything.” My voice dipped lower, my hand sliding up his shoulder. “Even that time in the woods.”
His jaw twitched.
“Th-the… the woods?”
I smirked, heat blooming in my chest.
“You know the one.”
He blinked hard. His fingers clenched against my sides.
“I didn’t forget,” I whispered, leaning in closer, my nose brushing his. “The way you—put me against that tree. The way your fingers felt. You thought I’d pretend it never happened, huh?”
Toby swallowed so hard I heard it.
“I… I—n-no. I j-j-just—”
“You made me come so hard I saw stars...” I said, biting my bottom lip as I said it. “You don’t get to pretend you forgot either.”
His breathing hitched. My legs shifted. I could feel the heat building again—rising under my skin like static.
“I thought about it,” I admitted, eyes locked on his. “Even when I told myself I shouldn’t. I still remembered how you touched me.”
He just stared at me like I was a dream breaking all its own rules.
“Say something,” I whispered.
I saw it in his throat—the way it bobbed when he swallowed hard.
“I c-c-can’t stop t-thinkin’ a-about it,” he whispered. “Th-the way you s-s-sounded. F-felt. F-fuck—”
I smiled. My mind was buzzing just enough to let the words fall without a filter.
“You had me s-shaking” I murmured, reaching up to tug the hem of his hoodie.
Toby let out a low, choked sound, then suddenly surged forward.
He kiss me again, this time with teeth and breath and want. His hands found my hips, fingers clenching through the fabric, dragging me into him. His own self control leaving his body the moment his shy lips met mine.
I gasped, and his mouth swallowed the sound. He groaned into me, deep and rough.
My fingers slid under his hoodie—felt the heat of his skin, the way his stomach tensed. He was shaking. Barely holding it together.
“Y-Y-You’re d-driving me f-fucking insane,” he whispered, lips brushing my jaw. “E-Every time y-you s-s-smile. E-every time you l-look at m-me like I’m not a w-weirdo.”
“You’re not” I said breathlessly.
“I wanna ruin you.” he choked out, no stutters this time.
My thighs clenched.
“Then do it.”
That broke something in him.
He slammed me into the wall, hard enough to rattle my breath—and kissed me again, deeper, hungrier. One of his hands slid up, cupped my jaw, tilted my head as his mouth devoured mine. The other trailed down, gripping my thigh, pulling it up around his waist.
“L-Lenora,” he breathed. “F-Fuck. I d-didn’t plan t-this. I s-swear.”
“I don’t care.”
He pressed his forehead to mine, chest rising like he was drowning.
“B-BEN doesn’t g-get to be t-the o-only one,” he muttered. “I w-want to h-hear those n-noises too. I w-want—I want to feel y-you fall apart f-for me.”
My breath hitched.
He slid a hand up under my shirt, fingers trembling against my ribs. Then down—down—fingertips brushing the waistband of my underwear.
“T-Tell me if y-y-you w-want me to s-stop.”
“I’ll punch you if you stop.”
He laughed, then shoved his mouth against mine again.
And this time, he didn’t hold back.
His hand slipped between my legs, sliding over the damp heat with a groan of pure disbelief.
“F-fuck—y-you’re s-soaked,” he whispered, panting against my cheek. “Is this a-all f-for me? A-Again?”
“Yes..” I whimpered.
He bit my shoulder. “S-Say it a-again.”
I moaned. “Yes—yes, Toby, it’s all for you—!”
He clapped his hand over my mouth.
“Shhh...” he hissed, grinning. “D-don’t w-wanna get c-caught, do y-you?”
His fingers found my clit. Rubbed slow, tight circles, teasing until my knees buckled. I whined into his palm, and his hips pressed into mine.
“T-that’s it” he growled. “Y-you’re gonna c-come like t-this. F-for me. S-Silently.”
I was already trembling, head falling back.
He didn’t let up. He slid a finger inside me, slow and deliberate.
“G-good girl” he whispered, right against my ear. “Y-you remember t-this? H-how I touched you under that tree? T-Thought about it e-every f-fucking night—”
I moaned into his palm again, louder.
His finger curled inside me. Then two.
He pumped slow, steady, dragging slick sounds out of me in the quiet.
“I c-can feel you clenching, shit—y-you’re close a-already, huh?”
I nodded desperately.
“B-but you d-don’t get to come y-yet.”
He pulled his hand back.
I whined in protest, and he smiled—twisted, breathless, starving.
Then I felt it, the heavy press of his cock, hard against my thigh through his pants.
He leaned in, kissed my jaw, voice shaking.
“G-gonna give y-you what you w-want. B-But I’m gonna make you b-beg.”
I nodded, hips rocking against him.
He quickly pushed his pants down and grunted as he lined up with me, sliding his cock against my folds. I could feel it, thick, pulsing, leaking against me.
“F-Feel t-that?” he rasped. “Y-You’re g-g-gonna t-take all o-of it. N-no noise. J-Just squeeze m-my cock a-and come l-like a good f-fucking g-girl—”
And then he pushed in. Deep. He filled me completely.
The stretch wasn’t painful, but it was deep. Hot. Too much and not enough at the same time. My fingers scrabbled for purchase against the dusty wood behind me, and Toby was groaning into my shoulder, his breath ragged like he'd just sprinted across a minefield.
His hand clamped back over my mouth again the second I whimpered.
“S-shhh!” he growled, low and frantic. “We c-can’t—we can’t—f-fuck, you feel s-so f-fucking tight—”
I moaned into his palm, the sound muffled, helpless.
He thrust again, just once, slow and thick, and I felt it all the way in my gut. I gasped—then squealed when he did it again, harder.
His hips slammed forward, and I nearly lost it.
He didn’t find a rhythm right away—he was too far gone. His breath hitched with every roll of his hips, every slap of skin against skin. His cock dragged through me like he’d dreamed this—obsessed over it. And maybe he had.
He edged me without meaning to. Again and again, he’d slow down, grinding just enough for my legs to shake, then still, letting me almost get there before pulling back.
“T-Toby—!”
He clapped his hand over my mouth once again, this time harder. “I s-said—shhh—!”
He leaned in, sweat-slick forehead against mine, eyes wide and wild.
“Y-you want me to c-cum inside, d-don’t you,” he rasped, not even a question. “Y-You want this c-cock—you w-want it so f-fucking bad—l-look at you—s-squirming—”
I nodded, frantic, eyes rolling back.
“G-god, y-your pussy’s g-gripping me—like you’re s-s-scared I’ll leave—like you w-want to m-milk me—fuck—!”
I was gonna snap.
I tried to cry out, to say his name, but his hand stayed firm on my mouth.
I came. Violently.
Shaking, jerking, clawing at his hoodie, screaming into his palm while his cock stayed buried deep inside me.
My walls clenched and pulsed and sucked him in—
“F-fuck—fuckfuck—L-Lenora—!”
He slammed in one more time and spilled inside me.
I felt it—hot, thick, twitching ropes of cum flooding me, his entire body shuddering as he came apart, face buried in my neck like he’d collapse without me holding him up.
We stayed like that.
Still pressed wall to wall in that cramped, overheated storage closet.
Then—Then he kissed me again. Like he still wanted more.
I thought we were done. I thought he was done.
But then I felt a slow shift in his hips. Just the barest grind of his cock against overstimulated nerves.
I whimpered.
His hand clamped back over my mouth.
“Y-You didn’t think I was f-finished, d-did y-you?” he whispered against my cheek, voice broken and hoarse.
I tried to shake my head—but he rolled his hips again, and it came out as a muffled moan.
“Y-You said I c-could ruin y-you,” he said, breath hot against my ear. “S-So I am. G-gonna wreck y-you, Lenora. G-gonna make y-you cry for it.”
He started again—slow, steady thrusts, fucking me through the aftermath of my orgasm like he didn’t care I was already shaking, already raw. His hand stayed over my mouth, catching every sob, every high-pitched gasp as he dragged his cock through the mess he’d left inside me.
My body went tight again, nerves lighting up like a firestorm.
I whimpered under his palm.
“Nuh-uh” he murmured. “Y-you take it. B-Be a good girl—d-don’t make a s-sound.”
He kissed my jaw, then sucked hard under my ear. I bucked against him, moaning into his hand, and he laughed—a low, breathless, filthy sound.
“Still c-clenching,” he panted. “G-god, you’re still s-soaked.”
His rhythm quickened. Deep, thick strokes that hit every oversensitive spot, teasing the edge but never quite letting me fall.
“Y-You wanna c-cum again?” he whispered.
I nodded. Desperate.
“You c-can’t. N-Not yet.”
I whimpered.
“Y-you gotta w-wait. G-gotta b-beg first.”
He pulled almost all the way out, and shoved back in with a groan that vibrated against my skin.
“B-beg with your e-eyes,” he said. “C-cause that m-mouth’s not s-safe.”
Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. My thighs ached. My body was on fire. And still—still—he didn’t stop.
He edged me for the second time. And then again.
Every time I started to tip over, he would still, just barely, until my whole body spasmed around him.
“F-fuck, I can’t s-stop,” he growled. “Y-You feel too g-good. Y-You’re mine l-like t-this. I c-can’t stop—won’t stop—”
He let go of my mouth just long enough to kiss me, swallowing the scream as I came again, harder than before, everything in me locking up as he fucked me through it.
“OhgodToby—fuck—”
“Th-that’s it, baby,” he whispered, “g-give it to m-me—g-give me e-everything—”
And then he slammed into me one more time and came again, groaning into my neck as he filled me for the second time, cock twitching, hips jerking, holding me so tight I couldn’t breathe.
My legs gave out.
He held me there. Still inside. Still panting. His fingers curled under my thigh again.
And I realized—He was still hard.
Oh, fuck.
“R-round t-three” he murmured, voice dazed. “Th-this time, y-you’re gonna die for m-me.”
And I did. I was ruined.
My legs didn’t work. My breath was a mess of ragged gasps. I couldn’t feel my hands—except for the ache in my knuckles from clenching his hoodie. My throat burned from screaming into his palm, and my skin buzzed from the aftershock still rolling through my thighs.
And somehow… Toby still wasn’t done.
I blinked dazedly, trying to form words, trying to catch up. But before I could, his mouth dragged against my jaw, teeth grazing.
“Y-You're so c-cute.” he whispered, voice cracked and hoarse.
His hips shifted slightly, cock dragging against my still-clenching walls. My body screamed—overstimulated, soaked, stretched—but I didn’t stop him. I couldn’t.
“Y-you’re still s-squeezing me” he breathed, dazed. “F-fuck, I c-can’t stop—can’t—”
He started moving again. No warning. No gentleness.
He pulled out halfway and slammed back in, and I cried out—but his hand snapped over my mouth instantly.
“Sshhh, h-hey...” he growled, breath shaky. “Y-you w-wanna get c-caught?”
I whimpered against his palm, my body already shuddering again. I was too wrecked to answer.
But he didn’t care. He fucked me.
Each thrust deep and fast, no teasing, no edging this time—just the raw need to take. My hips slammed into the wall with every thrust. My cunt, already soaked and twitching from two orgasms, clenched around him again, dragging him deeper, wetter, louder.
He didn’t stop. His hand muffled every moan, every “ngh—mmnh—please—” as he pistoned into me, cock still buried in the heat he couldn’t pull away from.
His other hand slid up my hoodie, found my tits and squeezed—hard.
“F-fuck—j-just like t-that,” he gasped, forehead pressed to mine. “Y-You like being u-used like t-this—don't y-you?”
I nodded desperately.
His thumb rolled over my nipple and I saw stars.
“W-what would BEN t-think,” he hissed, thrusting deeper, harder, “i-if he saw you l-like this—wrecked—d-dripping with my cum—shaking like a f-fucking whore—”
I clenched around him so tight he gasped.
“Y-you like t-that, huh?” he panted. “L-like being f-fucked stupid in the c-closet like a d-dirty little s-secret?”
I moaned into his palm, biting down just to keep from screaming.
His voice cracked as he thrust faster. “Th-that’s it—g-give it to me—f-fucking milk me, baby—fuck—!”
I came, again, for the third time, and it wasn't long until he did too.
“C-cumming—f-fuck—inside a-again—g-gonna f-fucking fill you—”
He came with a broken groan, jerking in place as my pussy milked every drop from him. His hips trembled. His cock twitched, pulsing rope after rope into my overstimulated cunt.
He collapsed against me, still buried to the hilt.
His hand finally dropped from my mouth.
His forehead was resting against mine, our breath mingling in the sticky heat of the closet. His hands weren’t gripping me anymore—they were just… there. One lightly against my hip. The other, trembling, brushing up the side of my ribs. Gentle now. Like he was scared I’d break.
When he finally pulled back a little, his eyes flicked over my face like he was checking for cracks.
“I—” he swallowed. “A-are you… o-okay?”
His voice was different again. Not dark or feral anymore, like he had when he was fucking me senseless.
It was Toby again. Soft. Hesitant. Stuttering.
My heart did something stupid in my chest.
I nodded, slow, smiling like I couldn’t help it. “Y-Yeah. I’m good.”
“You’re—y-you’re not t-too… I mean, I-I wasn’t too m-much?”
I exhaled a breathy laugh and dropped my forehead against his shoulder. “Toby. You were perfect.”
He let out a shaky breath and his entire body slumped with relief.
Then, he leaned in and kissed my cheek. Just a gentle press of lips against flushed skin.
Then another, near my temple, and another one under my jaw, where he’d bitten earlier, now soft and apologetic.
His arms slowly wrapped around me, holding me up, steadying me.
“I’m s-s-sorry I w-was s-so rough,” he whispered.
“You weren’t,” I mumbled against his hoodie. “I mean—you were. But in the good way.”
His laugh was small. Nervous.
We stood there a few more seconds, still tangled, still warm.
He shifted slightly, finally easing out of me. I winced at the ache, at the way I could feel everything dripping down my thighs, and he caught the look in my eyes.
“Oh god—I—I—I didn’t think—d-do you want my h-hoodie? I-I can get you a t-towel, or—or my s-shirt—”
I cut him off with a tired grin. “Toby.”
He looked at me, wide-eyed.
“I’m fine.”
He stared for a beat, then nodded.
“Okay. O-okay.”
He caressed the back of my neck, his thumb brushing my jaw like he was memorizing the shape of it.
“I… I r-really l-like y-you, Lenora.”
I froze.
He blinked fast. “Y-you don’t have to s-s-say it back. I j-just—need y-you to k-know.”
My chest squeezed. I was still drunk, but I didn’t regret it.
And neither did he.
I leaned in and kissed him, just once, soft and slow.
Then whispered against his lips; “I know.”
Getting redressed was… interesting.
Mostly because my legs still didn’t work.
Toby helped. Quiet, careful, all big hands and trembling fingers. He offered me his hoodie twice. I declined, twice. Mostly because I was sweating and flushed and one more layer might’ve made me pass out.
He stayed close. Eyes flicking up and down my body like he couldn’t believe what just happened either.
The closet was still dim. Still tight. Still holding our scent—sweat and sex and breathless moaning that’d probably be echoing in my head for days.
I was wrecked. And floating. And soaked.
But the noise from the party was still going. Which meant we had to walk out there and pretend we hadn’t just broken every rule of house decency.
Toby helped me stand and my legs immediately wobbled.
He grabbed my waist.
“S-shit, s-sorry—here, l-lean on m-me.”
I did, because I couldn’t walk straight.
Yeah. Okay. Also because I didn’t want to let go of him yet.
When he opened the closet door, the hallway light was way too bright.
We stepped out together, and I blinked hard, trying to act like I hadn’t just had three orgasms and a life crisis in the span of twenty minutes.
Voices drifted from the main room. Laughter. Music. A bottle clinking against tile.
He kept his hand on my back. His other hand hovered near my elbow, ready in case I slipped again.
“R-remember,” he muttered softly, “i-if a-anyone asks—you’re j-j-just tipsy. I-I was h-helpin’.”
I nodded. Deep breaths.
We turned the corner and walked back into the party.
The moment we stepped into view, two things happened! Clockwork clocked us (lololol) immediately. Her eyes narrowed and she smiled. One brow rose just enough to say we’ll talk later.
Second.... BEN saw me.
He was standing by the kitchen counter, drink in hand, mid-laugh with Jeff—and the second his eyes hit mine, that laugh stopped. He approached us immediately.
“I was looking for you.” he said casually, voice a little too light.
I opened my mouth, but before I could get a single syllable out, Toby beat me to it.
“S-S-She was feelin’ o-off,” he said, voice firm but not loud. “D-Drunk. I w-was helpin’ h-her out.”
BEN’s eyes narrowed, flicking between us.
“Right.” he said. “Because I wasn’t around.”
Toby shrugged.
“S-someone h-had to n-notice.”
His smile wasn’t kind.
It was smug.
BEN stepped forward, slow.
“Is that right?”
“Mmhm.” Toby said, shifting closer to me, arm still steady around my waist. “T-Took r-real good c-care of h-her.”
I felt BEN’s mood shift like a temperature drop.
He didn’t snap back. Not with words.
But his grip on the cup tightened.
Toby leaned a little closer to me.
“D-Drink s-some water” he said gently, tone dipping low again just for me. “I’ll be a-around if y-you n-need a-anything.”
Then he turned and walked away.
BEN watched him go.
I felt the heat of his stare before I even looked up. When I finally did, his eyes were already on mine.
I couldn’t read them.
Jealousy? Confusion? Hurt?
All I knew was that I couldn’t meet them for long.
So I looked away.
Leaned into the wall. He slid in beside me like he owned the space, slow, measured, every movement too deliberate to be casual.
“You were gone a while.” he said, voice low but cutting through the noise like a knife.
My spine stiffened, but I didn’t answer.
He let out a humorless chuckle. “Guess you're a handsy type of drunk."
I glanced at him, noting the sharp edge behind his smirk. He wasn’t raising his voice. No yelling. But the tension in the room was thick enough to choke on. This was him letting me know he knew—and wasn’t happy.
“I needed a break” I said evenly. “It was loud. I got dizzy.”
His brow quirked. “Toby helped with that, huh?”
I crossed my arms, the heat rising in my cheeks. “What exactly are you trying to say?”
“Nothing.” He shrugged like it was no big deal, but his eyes were dark. “You’re free to do what you want, remember? Non-exclusive. No strings.”
The words hit me like a punch. He said it like he was using it against me.
“You agreed,” I snapped, voice sharper than I intended. “You promised to get over your issues.”
“Right.” he said, taking a long sip of his drink like he was savoring the moment. “And yet here I am, totally not reacting.”
I glared at him. “That’s the passive-aggressive bullshit I was talking about.”
“Yeah? And you’re the expert in dodging the point” he fired back. “So... did Toby finger you again, or is he moving up in the world?”
My jaw dropped, shock and fury twisting my stomach.
“That’s low—even for you.”
He grinned—sharp, mean, and infuriating. “You don’t look like someone who just got fresh air, Lenora.”
I shoved his arm hard. “Stop acting like I cheated! We said no exclusives. We’re not a couple.”
He stepped closer, eyes cold and serious for once, no smirk to hide behind.
“No,” he said quietly. “We’re not. You’re right.”
But then his voice tightened, brittle with something I hadn’t heard before—pain? Jealousy? Both.
“And yet, you just fucked Toby in the middle of a party. In a closet. And then you come out here like nothing happened.”
I bit back, furious and hurt. “Maybe you should’ve come looking for me sooner.”
His eyes flared—just a little. “You’re really good at twisting things to make yourself look innocent.”
“And you’re really bad at admitting you don’t want to share me.”
I could feel my heart pounding, the heat rising in my chest as the air between us crackled with everything unsaid.
“I promised I’d try, Lenora,” he growled. “I told you. I’d keep it together.”
“Yeah? Well, you’re failing spectacularly.”
He stepped so close I could feel his breath. “Don’t act like you don’t want this. You want me to be pissed off because you can’t decide.”
I matched his stare, unflinching. “I’m torn apart, BEN. I already told you, we already talked about this. I'm not ready yet.”
His jaw clenched. “That’s not fair.”
“Neither is expecting me to be yours when we agreed we wouldn’t be.”
We stood toe to toe, the fight hanging heavy around us. Neither willing to back down, both aching for something we couldn’t say aloud.
BEN’s eyes darkened, a slow, sarcastic smirk curling his lips like he was savoring the argument more than he should.
“So what, then?” he shot back. “You just gonna keep me on the sidelines while you fuck whoever’s handy? Because that’s really mature, Lenora.”
I rolled my eyes, matching his bite. “Oh, I forgot—you’re the king of maturity here.”
He stepped closer, voice dropping an octave, laced with that irritating mix of smugness and something sharper underneath. “Look, you wanna play this ‘non-exclusive’ game? Fine. But don’t act surprised when it pisses me off.”
“Yeah, well, maybe you shouldn’t pretend like you don’t care when you clearly do,” I said, crossing my arms.
He laughed, low and mocking. “Please. You think I’m some lovesick puppy waiting for you to pick me? That’s rich.”
I blinked fast, biting my lip so hard it almost broke the skin, desperate to swallow down the sudden, burning ache twisting in my chest. My throat tightened painfully, and the sting behind my eyes was fierce—like betrayal mixed with something darker. Tears threatened to spill, but I clenched my jaw, refusing to let them win.
He caught it.
His smirk faltered for a flicker—just long enough for me to see the flicker of something like regret, maybe even pain, in his eyes.
“H-Hey” he said quickly, voice losing some of its usual sharp edge, “I didn’t mean it like that. I… I like you. I really do. It’s just—doesn’t mean I’m—”
I shook my head, voice trembling but hard. “No. You don’t. Not really.”
Every word burned me like acid on my tongue. I felt small and stupid for believing his words when he said he cared beyond the lust.
“Save it, BEN.” I whispered, voice cracking before I could stop it. "I'm tired of your bullshit."
Without another word, I turned and stormed off, fists clenched tight, tears hot and unforgiving welling up until I could barely see straight. I barely made it to my room before the sobs broke free—quiet, jagged, and raw.
Behind me, I heard him curse under his breath, voice rough and filled with something bitter. “Fuck…”
~3rd PERSON POV~
Lenora stormed out to her room, biting her lip so hard she barely tasted the blood beneath. Tears hovered dangerously close, blurring her vision. As she passed the hallway, Masky was leaning against the wall, arms folded, eyes fixed on the floor.
He noticed her instantly, her red, glassy eyes, the way her steps faltered. For a moment, he looked away, pulling his hoodie tighter around himself, like ignoring it would make it go away.
But something stopped him.
After a slow breath, he pushed off the wall and followed her quietly down the hall.
He stopped outside her door and knocked once. When there was no response, he opened it just a crack, slipping inside and closing the door behind him without a word.
Lenora sat on the edge of her bed, her hands trembling as she wiped at her face. When she saw him, the tears broke free.
Masky didn’t move at first. His expression stayed calm, unreadable, like he was trying to figure out the right thing to say but hadn’t quite found it yet.
“I—” Lenora started, voice rough and broken. “It’s BEN. He said he didn’t care.”
She bit her lip, fighting the tears. Masky’s eyes flicked to her, the barest hint of something unreadable crossing his face.
“That thing he said.” Her voice cracked. “I thought… I thought maybe he cared. More than just… this. But it’s like I was lying to myself.”
Masky shifted slightly but said nothing, just watching.
“I didn’t want to believe you when you said he’s bad news,” she whispered, voice cracking. “But you were right. I should’ve listened.”
Masky nodded once, slow and deliberate. “...He’s not good for you.”
Lenora swallowed hard, voice shaking. “I’m such an idiot. I thought… maybe this time it’d be different. But he just pushes me away.”
There was a long pause. Masky remained still, eyes steady on her. He felt his own heart break, like everytime a tear fell down he could feel his own trying to hold back. He mentally cursed at BEN, and inside, he just wanted to storm out of there and punch the motherfucker right in the face.
But he didn't.
Finally, Lenora let out a shaky breath and leaned forward, hugging herself.
“I don’t know what to do anymore. I’m just… tired.”
Masky stepped closer, hands in his pockets. “...You don't have to figure out right now."
Lenora looked up, eyes red. “I’m scared I’m just going to keep getting hurt.”
He said nothing for a moment, then his voice came, low and quiet: “You’re stronger than you think. Trust me. I see you.”
She bit her lip, tears spilling again as she heard him, and without thinking, she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into a hug.
Masky froze a second, but then hugged her back.
“It’s fine.” he said quietly. "You can cry."
Lenora closed her eyes against his chest, feeling the weight of it all settle—pain, regret, but also a flicker of comfort.
After a moment, she pulled back, wiping her face.
“Thanks, Masky. Sorry you have to see me like this so many times...” She smiled a little bit.
He nodded, and shrugged, voice rough but steady. “...I don't mind, but I don't promise to be a good therapist.”
Lenora managed a faint giggle through her tears. “I’ll try not to put much work on you.”
Masky giggled silently, and hugged her slightly tighter.
"I don't wanna be annoying but..." He sighed. "I told you."
"I know."
"...And you got mad at me."
".....I know...."
Lenora sniffed. "I'm sorry I did. I see it now."
Masky let her hug him for a silent while, until he finally pulled back. He turneds toward the door, then glanced back at her.
“I don't mind the hugs, though.”
With that, he left, quiet as he came, leaving the room feeling a little less empty.
Chapter Text
~LENORA'S POV~
Waking up felt like dragging myself out of a body that wasn’t mine.
Everything was too bright. Too loud. The air in my room pressed heavy on my chest like guilt made physical. My head throbbed like something had split it in two and stitched it back together with barbed wire. Every heartbeat echoed against my skull like a warning.
I groaned and rolled over, half-buried in the blanket, trying to ignore the nausea curling in my stomach and the heat behind my eyes. My body hurt. My legs ached in that way that wasn’t unpleasant, but still too raw to think about for long. I could feel where he’d touched me. Toby.
I didn’t know if I felt good about that now.
Or awful.
Or both.
The memory came back in broken flashes. The closet. The heat. His voice in my ear, stammering and low and desperate. The way he held me like I was something breakable—and then ruined me anyway. His sweetness. His trembling hands. The way he kissed me after, like he didn’t want to let me go.
God.
And BEN.
My heart twisted violently as it all came flooding in.
His voice, cold and cutting. That smirk he wore like armor, so sharp it left splinters. The way he didn’t yell—but made every word slice straight into me anyway. The things he said. The way he looked at me like I wasn’t real. Like I wasn’t his.
Even though I’d never really been.
I dragged the pillow over my head, squeezing my eyes shut, but it didn’t help. I could still feel it all.
Tears pricked, but didn’t fall.
I didn’t want to cry over him again.
My phone buzzed weakly on the nightstand, like it was trying to be polite about it. I ignored it for a while. Then finally, slowly, I turned and reached for it.
I shouldn’t have.
ben: lenora
ben: please
ben: i’m sorry
ben: i didn’t mean it
ben: fuck i know i hurt you
ben: can we talk
ben: please
ben: i was being an asshole
ben: you didn’t deserve that
ben: i just snapped
ben: it’s not an excuse
ben: but it’s the truth
ben: i should’ve looked for you
ben: i should’ve stopped you
ben: fuck
Each message was another pin to my ribs. I read them one after the other, numb. Hollow. Some of them made my breath hitch. Others made me want to scream.
He always did this.
Break me open, then scramble to gather the pieces like he didn’t mean to drop them. Like the damage was just a bug in the code.
And the worst part?
Some sad, wounded part of me still wanted to believe him.
I didn’t reply. Just shoved the phone under the pillow and stared at the wall.
I stayed like that for hours. Not moving. Barely breathing. My body was sore and limp, the hangover dragging me down like wet sand. I didn’t want to talk to anyone. Didn’t want to be seen.
But of course, someone knocked.
Once.
Twice.
I buried my head deeper into the mattress, muttering something incoherent.
Then the door cracked open.
“Lenora?”
Clockwork’s voice was soft. Familiar in the way that made me ache.
She stepped in, closed the door quietly behind her, and crouched beside the bed. I barely looked at her, but I could feel the way her eyes scanned me—like a puzzle half-burned and water-damaged.
“You okay?”
I didn’t answer.
She sighed, sitting back on her heels. “Toby?”
I shook my head into the pillow.
“BEN?”
A pause.
Then, softer, “Both?”
I nodded once, and my throat squeezed around something sharp.
Clockwork didn’t push. Just waited. Gave me time.
I finally rolled onto my back, blinking up at the ceiling. “It was a lot.”
“I figured.” She tilted her head. “You kind of looked like a car crash walking out of that closet.”
I snorted. It hurt. “It wasn’t supposed to happen. It just did. We were drunk and... he was so sweet. And warm. And I let it happen.”
She nodded. “And?”
“And it was good. Like... really good. But then we came out and BEN saw us and it was like everything just cracked in half.”
Clockwork didn’t speak. She just listened, her gaze patient and steady.
“We fought,” I whispered. “Bad. He said some awful shit. I did too. I stormed off. I didn’t even care who saw. I was just... done.”
She reached out and placed a hand on mine. “That’s why I came. You didn’t show for breakfast. Jane thought maybe you were hungover. Nina thought maybe you were hiding from both your boyfriends.”
I let out a tired laugh. “They’re not my boyfriends.”
Clockwork smirked. “Could’ve fooled me.”
I bit my lip. “I don’t know what to do. Toby’s kind and awkward and doesn’t hide when he likes me. BEN is... BEN. Hot and cold. He hurts me and then apologizes and I keep letting it happen.”
Clockwork’s eyes softened. “Because part of you still wants him.”
I nodded, voice small. “Yeah.”
Silence stretched.
Then, she spoke. “You deserve someone who doesn’t make you feel like shit. Who doesn’t make you question yourself every five minutes.”
“I know.”
She squeezed my hand. “Then why are you still trying to make it work? Whatever it is?”
I didn’t have an answer.
“Look,” she said gently, “Toby’s not perfect. But he’s never made you cry like this. And BEN? He’s the reason you’re in bed all day instead of recovering from a hangover with waffles and bad horror movies.”
I smiled, barely.
Clockwork stood, brushing off her knees. "Let him sit in it. Let him feel what you felt.”
I nodded slowly.
“And maybe,” she added, turning toward the door, “give Toby a real chance. When you’re sober.”
I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding. “Thanks....”
She smiled over her shoulder. “That’s what I’m here for.”
And then she was gone, leaving me in the quiet again.
But this time, it didn’t feel quite so suffocating.
I didn’t check my phone. I looked at it, like fifty times, but I didn’t open anything. Just sat there, in bed, staring at the screen as it lit up with the same name. Over and over again.
I could see the start of the messages through the lock screen. Fragments.
ben: i didn’t mean it like that
ben: please don’t shut me out
ben: i care
ben: i swear i care
ben: lenora
I didn’t open them.
I didn’t want to hear him talk about how sorry he was.
Not yet.
Not when my chest still ached like I’d been sucker-punched, and my mind kept replaying that stupid smirk, that venom in his voice. "Guess you’re a handsy drunk." Like I was some joke to him. Like I wasn’t bleeding inside.
But even as I dragged myself out of bed, shoved on a hoodie and sweatpants, and splashed cold water on my face, I still kept checking the screen. Kept wondering if he’d text again. Part of me hated him. Part of me missed him.
It was a stupid fucking paradox.
My head pounded. My body felt like I’d run a marathon through hell. And emotionally? I felt like roadkill. Sad, messy, unrecognizable roadkill.
Still, I opened the door and walked into the hallway.
The noise from the main room floated toward me—cartoons, chatter, someone (probably Jane) flipping a page way too aggressively. I paused before turning the corner.
I was terrified of seeing him.
BEN.
What if he was there? What if he looked at me? What if he didn’t? What if I completely fell apart in front of everyone?
I braced myself and stepped in.
No BEN. No Jeff, either.
Just the usual chaos.
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding and made a beeline for the couch. I barely got three steps before—
“L-Lenora!”
Toby.
He was already rushing toward me, his smile big and crooked and warm in the way only he could be. His hoodie sleeves were half-swallowed by his hands, and his voice cracked halfway through my name.
“H-Hey—hi—you’re u-up,” he stammered. “H-hangover b-bad?”
“Apocalyptic” I mumbled. “My skull’s vibrating.”
He laughed softly. “Y-you want t-to s-sit? H-here—c’mon, I-I got y-you.”
He guided me to the couch, gently touching the small of my back. He didn’t say anything else. Just helped me sit, then eased down beside me, close enough that our thighs touched.
I slumped into the cushions, trying not to sigh too loud.
He watched me for a second, fidgeting with his sleeves.
“Y-you okay?” he asked, eyes flicking toward mine.
I tried to smile. Failed. “Just hungover. That’s all.”
He gave me a look.
And then, without a word, he slid his arm around my shoulders and pulled me gently against his chest.
I let him.
My head landed right over his heartbeat—steady, muffled under soft fabric. He smelled good. Warm. Familiar. Safe.
Then his lips touched the top of my head.
Softly.
Once. Then again. Then again.
I melted. I didn’t care that we were in the living room.
Didn’t care that my mascara was probably smudged and my hair looked like it’d lost a fight with a tornado.
He kept me close.
And I clung to him.
“Ughhh, cuddling now?” Jane groaned from somewhere across the room. “Gross.”
Clockwork smiled as she looked up from her phone.
I groaned into Toby’s chest.
“I-I could f-fake a s-seizure?” he offered helpfully.
I giggled.
He shifted slightly, adjusting us both so I was leaning deeper into him. His fingers brushed slowly over my arm, tracing a shape he probably wasn’t thinking about.
He was touchier now.
More confident. Still twitchy, still stammering—but something in the way he held me felt different. Like he knew he had permission now. And I didn’t mind.
I leaned back just far enough to look at him.
His goggles were pushed up on his forehead. His lips were parted slightly, like he wanted to say something but didn’t want to interrupt the moment.
I reached up, fingers brushing the scar on his cheek.
That iconic gash. Pink, jagged across soft skin—running from just beside his mouth and up across his cheekbone. Deep enough that, when he smiled too wide, you could see the side of his teeth through it.
He flinched a little—not from pain, I remembered, he couldn’t feel pain—but from reflex.
My fingers traced it gently.
“This is from the cheek biting, right?”
He nodded slowly. “Y-yeah. M-my tics g-got b-bad for a w-while. C-couldn’t stop chewing.”
I frowned, brushing my thumb across the edge. “God, it looks like it should hurt.”
“W-Well, l-lucky m-me!”
That made me smile.
I stared at it a second longer, then whispered, “It’s kind of... pretty.”
He blinked. “W-What?”
I met his gaze. “You are. Pretty.”
His entire face exploded into red.
“Y-y-you—w-what—n-no I’m—I’m n-not—Lenora—”
“Yes, you are.” I traced the line again. “Scar and all.”
His breath hitched.
“Y-you’re t-trying to k-kill me.”
“No,” I said softly. “I’m just looking.”
He exhaled shakily and leaned into my touch. Then—hesitantly—he brought his hand up and gently ran his fingers along my jaw. His eyes studied me like I was some impossible equation.
“Y-your lashes,” he murmured. “L-long. And... y-you got those, um... b-big, downturned eyes. K-kinda s-sad s-sometimes.”
I swallowed. My heart squeezed.
“And y-your n-nose,” he continued, voice soft and sweet and so real it almost hurt, “I-I like it. L-long, b-but it fits y-you. A-and your l-l-lips...”
I raised an eyebrow. “Danger zone?”
“Y-yep. D-danger z-zone.”
I laughed.
He looked down, then leaned in, nudging his forehead softly against mine. “Y-you don’t gotta s-say anything. I-I just... I l-like this. B-being near you.”
I felt it again.
That slow ache.
But this time, it wasn’t heartbreak, or anything of the sort.
It was something warmer.
He made me feel wanted. In a way that didn’t need proving or testing or hurting first. That didn't games or any emotional manipulation.
He was just... there.
And for the first time that morning, I forgot to look at my phone.
Toby was still staring at me, cheeks red, lips twitching like he wanted to smile but didn’t know how.
I smirked. “Did I break you?”
“Y-you s-s-said I’m pretty,” he stammered, voice barely above a whisper, like the word itself might catch fire.
“Because you are,” I teased, poking the edge of his jaw. “All blushy and twitchy and cute. You should see yourself.”
He groaned and covered his face with his sleeve, voice muffled behind the fabric. “G-god, s-stop—y-you’re g-gonna make me combust—”
I laughed and tugged gently on his hoodie. “Don’t hide.”
“Nooo.”
“Come on. Let me see that flustered little face.”
He peeked through two fingers, and I couldn’t help but grin wider.
“I swear,” I said, pressing closer, “you’re like... emotionally allergic to compliments.”
“Th-that’s b-because y-you d-d-deliver th-them like w-weaponized f-f-flirting!”
“Is it working?”
He groaned again and dropped his hands to his lap in surrender. “Y-you w-win. G-guilty. I’m blushing. Happy?”
“Extremely.”
We stayed like that for a moment, tangled in each other, our bodies pressed so close that I could feel the rhythm of his breath. He was warm. Soft in a way people didn’t expect him to be. Gentle.
His thumb brushed the corner of my mouth.
“Y-your lips... L-look like they’re always about to s-say something important. Or k-kiss someone. O-or both."
My breath caught.
"...K-Kinda why they're d-dangerous t-to me."
I didn’t say anything. Just leaned into his hand. I curled one of my hands around the front of his hoodie and tugged him gently down.
“..Can I kiss you?” I whispered.
His whole body twitched. “Y-you d-don’t gotta a-ask.”
So I did.
Softly, slowly... Not desperate or messy like the party.
Just us.
His hand slid around my waist. Mine curled behind his neck.
When we finally pulled apart, he exhaled shakily, voice barely audible.
“C-crazy. I c-can... f-feel everything b-but pain.”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I m-mean... this. Y-you.” He tapped his chest, right over his heart. “I c-can f-feel you.”
I blinked hard, throat tightening.
My fingers brushed the edge of his scar again.
We didn’t say anything after that.
~Toby’s POV~
We got back around sunset.
The trees outside were all burnt-orange and shadowy, and the mansion had that weird stillness again. Like it was holding its breath. The front door creaked the way it always did and the second I stepped in, the air felt colder than it should’ve been.
I wiped my boots on the mat three times before stepping inside.
Behind me, Masky and Hoodie followed, muttering to each other. Their voices were low, half-covered by the quiet echo of the house.
I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop.
But I heard her name.
“…Lenora was a mess again last night,” Masky said softly.
My whole body locked up.
He didn’t say it loud. But I heard it.
“I found her in her room,” he went on.
I paused halfway up the stairs, hands twitching at my sides.
“Didn’t talk much. She just… leaned into me. Like she needed something warm to anchor to. So I let her...”
Something hot twisted in my chest—not anger. Not jealousy. I wasn't like BEN.
Because I hadn’t checked on her.
I should’ve.
After everything that happened at the party—I’d just… assumed she needed space. I didn’t even knock. Didn’t send a message.
God, I’m such a fucking idiot.
She was crying and I wasn’t there.
I rubbed my fingers together until they hurt. One, two, three. Again. I counted every scrape.
“…She said she’s fine now,” Masky added. “But I don’t think she meant it.”
Hoodie hummed low in response. They kept walking toward the kitchen.
I didn’t move.
My brain felt like a screen glitching—looping the same images over and over again. Her eyes after that closet door opened. The way she curled into me this morning on the couch, trying to act okay.
But she wasn’t.
And I missed it.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to breathe past the buzzing behind my ears.
I wasn’t mad at Masky. He did the right thing.
I just wished it had been me.
Not for pride. Not for points. Just because… I wanted to be there for her.
And I hadn’t been.
I turned around slowly.
I wasn’t gonna storm her room. Wasn’t gonna push her.
But I needed to knock.
Just to make sure she knew... I care. And I’m here.
~BEN’s POV~
The sun had gone down a while ago. I could tell by the shift in the light seeping through the curtains. Everything in here was bathed in a sick green glow from my screens—one of them still frozen on a paused game, the sound looping endlessly like a broken radio.
I hadn’t touched the controller in hours.
I hadn’t touched anything in hours—except the wall.
There were already two cracks in the plaster. My knuckles stung.
Not like I cared.
I stared at the jagged hole in the wall like it might blink back. Maybe if I punched it enough, the ugly thing rotting in my chest would fall out.
It didn’t.
It just buzzed louder.
Lenora.
Her name felt like broken glass in my mouth. I’d been saying it in my head all damn day, over and over and over again like a fucking ghost chant.
And she hadn’t answered me.
Not once.
Not after all the messages. Not after the apologies. Not after the guilt started boiling me from the inside out and I lost my grip on what time even was. I wasn’t even trying to be dramatic. I just—couldn’t move. Couldn’t eat. Couldn’t fucking breathe.
The messages were still there. A whole damn graveyard of desperation:
ben: i’m sorry.
ben: please. just talk to me.
ben: you looked at me like i wasn’t even me anymore
ben: like i was someone you hated
And maybe I was.
Because I didn’t even recognize myself in the mirror right now.
I’d fucked up.
Big time.
I could see her face when I said that line. That smug, passive-aggressive one. The dig. The low blow about her and Toby, about the closet. And worse than her yelling at me—worse than her pushing back—was the way her whole expression shut down. Like I stopped being safe.
Like I stopped being hers.
Even though I never really was.
And it made me want to peel my own skin off.
I paced the room again, fists clenched, nails digging into my palms until they almost bled.
Jeff had come by three times. Three. The first time, he knocked. The second time, he opened the door and said something dumb like, “You good?”
And the third time, when I still hadn’t said a word, he threw a fucking granola bar at my chest and walked out.
I didn’t touch it.
Didn’t want it.
Didn’t want anything but her.
I slumped back into my chair, the leather creaking under me like it was sick of me too.
I’d told her—back when we started this thing—that I could handle non-exclusive. That I could be cool. No strings. Just fun. Just messing around.
I thought I could handle it.
But that was bullshit.
I lied.
Because the second I saw her stumble out of that closet with him—Toby, of all people—hair messy, eyes glassy, hoodie hanging off her shoulder like it wasn’t even hers, something in me snapped.
Not because she wasn’t mine.
But because I wanted her to be.
I slammed my fist into the desk so hard the monitor tilted sideways.
“Fuck!” I shouted. “Fuck, fuck, fuck—!”
My voice echoed off the walls, hollow and hot and bitter. Like every piece of my brain was short-circuiting all at once.
And still—Still I missed her.
I missed her laugh. The way she looked half-annoyed every time I flirted with her just to get a reaction. The way she played with the strings on my hoodie. The way she curled into me at night like she didn’t even know she was doing it.
And it wasn’t just about sex.
That was the worst part.
It was her. The dumb, perfect, infuriating her that I let down.
That I hurt. That I might’ve lost.
Though I never really had.
I grabbed my phone again.
No new messages. No read receipt.
Just the last text I sent:
ben: you don’t have to forgive me. just don’t shut me out. please.
I stared at it like it might change if I looked long enough.
It didn’t.
She was quiet. And I was screaming on the inside.
I dragged a hand down my face, still shaking, my heart slamming like it was trying to break out of my ribcage. I didn’t know how to fix this. I didn’t know how to be better. Every time I opened my mouth, I said the wrong thing. Every time I got scared, I made it her problem. I didn't do feelings—I didn't know what to do with them.
And now? Now she was gone. Unreachable.
I curled into the chair, hoodie pulled over my head like that’d protect me from my own thoughts. My breath came in shudders.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered to no one. To her. To myself.
“I’m so fucking sorry.”
But the only thing that answered was the sound of the monitor humming.
And the silence where she used to be.
~3rd Person POV~
The knock was soft.
Too soft for anyone else in this house. One… then another… then two more in fast succession, like he wasn’t sure he should be doing it at all.
Lenora sat up from where she’d been half-curled beneath a blanket, the light from her bedside lamp barely reaching the corners of the room. Her phone was still face-down beside her. The silence in the air still heavy.
She pulled her hair back from her face with one hand and stood slowly, moving to the door.
When she opened it, Toby was standing there—hood up, sleeves tugged halfway over his hands, eyes darting around like he was expecting someone else to answer instead.
He looked… anxious.
More than usual.
“Toby?” she said softly. “Hey. Are you okay?”
He blinked fast, then shook his head. “Y-Yeah. I-I mean—n-not—j-just—” He cut himself off and rubbed at his cheek hard, eyes twitching slightly with the effort. “C-Can I—uh… come in?”
She nodded, stepping back. “Of course.”
He slipped inside quickly, closing the door a little too fast behind him. Then he stood there, fidgeting near her desk, not quite knowing where to put his hands.
“Toby,” she said again, a little slower this time, watching the way his fingers tugged on the hem of his hoodie. “What’s going on?”
He opened his mouth. Then closed it. Then opened it again.
“I-I heard Masky,” he finally blurted. “T-Talking to Hoodie. In the hallway. S-said you—uh—th-that you were—crying.”
Lenora stilled.
Toby’s eyes flinched toward her. “I-I didn’t know. I-I didn’t—fuck—I s-should’ve knocked, b-but I thought—maybe y-you wanted space, a-and—” He rubbed his palms against his thighs, voice cracking at the end. “I’m s-sorry. I-I should’ve c-came sooner.”
He took a step toward her. Then another. And before she could say anything, he wrapped his arms around her—tight, careful, one hand cradling the back of her head like she might break if he didn’t hold her just right.
Lenora exhaled shakily into his chest. She hadn’t cried again. Not since the night before.
But the weight of someone holding her, not asking anything from her, made her chest ache in a different way.
“I’m okay,” she murmured against his hoodie. “Really.”
He didn’t pull back right away. Just rested his cheek on top of her head.
“I j-just…” he whispered, voice rough. “I w-was w-worried.”
They stayed like that for a while. Until he finally pulled back enough to look her in the face.
“W-Was it… BEN?” he asked, almost too softly to hear.
Lenora didn’t answer right away.
She moved toward the bed and sat down slowly, eyes fixed on the floor. Her fingers curled into the edge of her blanket like it could anchor her again.
Toby sat beside her.
She didn’t meet his eyes at first. “It was a fight,” she said, voice small. “A really stupid, ugly one.”
He reached out, slowly, and took her hand.
His thumb started rubbing slow, nervous circles into her skin. “D-Do you wanna t-tell me?”
She didn’t want to. Not really.
But the silence was worse.
So she nodded, just once. And began.
"He knew. He said all this—awful stuff. Not yelling or anything, just… cruel.”
Toby’s jaw tightened.
“He said I didn’t look like someone who’d just gotten ‘fresh air,’” she said bitterly, eyes shining. “And he made comments about you. About what you’d done. And he made it feel like… like I’d cheated on him or something, even though I didnt."
Her voice cracked. She looked away.
Toby’s grip on her hand tightened a little.
“I tried to defend myself. Talked to me like I was the one who messed up.”
She didn’t realize she was crying again until one of the tears hit the back of her hand.
Toby leaned in immediately, brushing her cheek with the sleeve of his hoodie. “H-Hey. N-no. No—p-please don’t c-cry…”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, biting her lip. “It’s stupid. I shouldn’t care. I knew he was gonna be like this, but—”
“You d-don’t need to s-say sorry,” he said firmly. “N-not for feeling.”
She looked at him then, really looked at him. The way his eyes held hers steady, even when his own hands trembled. The way he still kept rubbing her hand, soft and rhythmic.
He swallowed, glancing down at their fingers laced together.
“You d-don’t deserve that,” he muttered. “Th-the way he t-talked to you. You—Lenora, y-you’re not s-someone you j-just throw b-back and f-forget about. Y-you’re—you’re—”
He fumbled, flustered.
“You’re s-special.”
She blinked at him.
His cheeks were red now. He looked like he was about to self-destruct.
“I c-could… I c-could treat you better,” he added, quietly. “I-I mean—not—n-not saying I’m—uh—but if y-you wanted someone t-to… to c-care. F-for real. I—”
He was full-on stammering now. But his eyes didn’t leave hers.
And that was what mattered.
Lenora reached out, her hand slipping up to cup the side of his face—thumb grazing the edge of his scar.
And then she leaned in and kissed him.
He froze for a heartbeat—then melted into it, his hands rising instinctively to her waist, holding her close.
When they pulled back, breath mingling in the quiet between them, Toby smiled shyly.
“I-I—uh,” he stuttered. “C-can I… do that again?”
She laughed softly, watery but sincere. “...Sure.”
And so he kissed her again.
Toby’s lips lingered against hers, soft and uncertain—like he wasn’t sure he was allowed to want this, but couldn’t stop now that it had happened. His hands stayed warm and careful on her waist, not tugging, just holding. Like if he let go too fast, she’d disappear.
Lenora’s heart fluttered in her chest, uneven and loud. Her hands rested lightly on the sides of his face, fingers brushing over his scar, tracing the way his skin changed beneath her touch.
Toby pulled back just enough to breathe, his eyes flickering across her face like he was trying to memorize it.
“Y-you’re r-really... beautiful,” he whispered, voice husky and shy. “I—I don’t mean just... l-lookin’. I-I mean like... the whole thing. The w-way you laugh. The w-way y-you look at p-people. The way you—uh—are.”
Lenora flushed.
“Toby...”
He leaned in again, kissed her cheek. Her temple. The corner of her mouth. Then lower, brushing his lips gently across her jawline.
Every kiss was slow. Thoughtful. Almost like an apology for something he wasn't guilty of.
“I-I like the way y-you get r-r-really quiet when y-you’re mad,” he mumbled between kisses. “A-and when y-you squint at me like I said s-something dumb. A-and the w-way you t-touch your h-hair when you’re thinking.”
He moved back slightly, eyes flicking to hers for permission. When she didn’t pull away, he kissed her again—this time right beneath her eye, where a tear had dried against her skin.
“And I r-really like... y-your eyes,” he added softly, hand brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. “A-and your l-l-lashes. A-And th-that look you give when y-you’re trying not to smile.”
Lenora couldn’t help it. She smiled.
"You've said."
Her face was red, but her chest was warm.
She tugged him closer without thinking, and they both fell gently back onto the bed, limbs tangled like they’d done this a hundred times. Toby propped himself on one elbow, eyes roaming her face like he still couldn’t believe she was there.
Lenora rested a hand on his chest, over the frantic thrum of his heart.
“You’re sweet,” she murmured. “You don’t have to be, but... you are.”
He leaned in and kissed her again, this time slower. Her lips parted easily for him, and his hand slid up to rest against her ribcage, not moving lower—just staying there, like he needed to feel her breathe.
She kissed him back, a little more urgent now, her fingers curling in the front of his hoodie.
Their breaths synced. Their bodies slowly aligned.
And as the minutes passed, their kisses grew deeper, but never rushed. He kissed her shoulder. Her collarbone. His fingers brushed along her spine beneath the fabric of her shirt, but with a reverence that made her tremble.
Lenora’s hands found his face again—familiar now, but still electric. She kissed the corner of his scar, then the curve of his jaw.
Toby exhaled, shaky and low. His hand threaded with hers again.
They just stayed there—kissing and snuggling, breath mixing, hands exploring gently.
And for the first time in days, Lenora’s heartbeat felt steady. Safe.
Because with Toby, there wasn’t any pressure. There wasn’t confusion. Just warmth, and the sound of his voice whispering things she didn’t know she needed to hear.
And the way he held her like she was something to treasure.
Chapter 16
Notes:
Will update later with an embed to the playlist! Meanwhile, here's a direct link: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0zZJN6TZJPylRbAJE5iadz?si=jwgmsdwfREabZ2b5icQVWw&pi=cm8vXK3DQLWh3
Chapter Text
~3RD PERSON POV~
(TIMESKIP)
A week passed, though it didn’t feel like it. Time moved differently in the Slendermansion, distorted by sleepless nights and restless mornings, by the chaos of its inhabitants and the ghosts of unspoken things. And in the middle of it all, Lenora found herself drawing closer and closer to Toby like a thread being slowly reeled in. It wasn't unexpected. They had already crossed lines. They’d already fucked. More than once. Late nights where everything ached, and Toby had touched her like she was something delicate, fucked her like he was desperate to prove he could be gentle even when the rest of him wasn’t.
It had started as need, as friction and heat and whimpers. She hadn’t meant for it to become something else. But it did.
The more time they spent together, the less it felt like just a release. The less it felt like just fucking. Because between the moans and the hasty, breathless orgasms, they started laughing. Talking. Falling asleep in each other’s arms after, tangled and half-naked. And Toby… never looked at her like she was just another warm body. He looked at her like she was the only one.
That scared the shit out of her.
She'd been almost there, with someone else.
BEN had fucked her like he had something to prove, every time. Rough, cocky, intense, he made her feel wanted in the moment, but hollow after. He’d whisper things against her throat that sounded like promises and turned out to be distractions. He never said anything real. Just fucked her like she was part of a game he was too good at winning.
At least that's how he made her think, feel.
He had pulled back. Mocked her. Played it off. Hurt her.
And still… she thought about him.
Because the way he used to touch her lingered. That smirk. That voice. That dizzying way he’d press her to a wall and make her forget what air felt like. Part of her still wanted him. Badly. And it made her furious.
She hadn’t replied to any of his messages. They weren't as persistent anymore, but still, occasional.
ben:
u okay?
i miss you
i know i fucked up. i just wanna talk.
...is he better than me?
He still had that audacity.
She never responded. But she read them,every single one. And they lived in her ribs like ghosts.
Meanwhile, Toby was there. Every day, every night, even when she wasn’t in the mood to talk, he’d just be there. Sitting next to her on the couch with his knee bouncing, waiting for her hand to reach over. Holding her tighter after sex, like she’d disappear the second he blinked.
And, fuck, when he wanted her? He really wanted her. He’d pull her on top of him, moaning into her neck like she was the best thing that had ever happened to him. His hands would tremble on her hips, and he’d beg for her to ride him again, for her to touch him, for her to stay.
He never said “I love you.” But everything else did.
She liked how he touched her. How he needed her. It made her feel powerful and adored all at once. And sometimes, when he was twitching and flushed and panting into her shoulder after coming too fast, she’d feel a weird twist in her chest.
Because maybe… maybe this was better. Maybe BEN never deserved her softness in the first place.
Everyone had noticed. Jeff wasn’t making dirty jokes about them anymore. Clockwork gave her approving looks like a proud sister.
BEN? He watched.
She and BEN hadn’t so much fallen apart as unraveled. She used to moan his name like it meant something. Now she couldn’t say it without bitterness curdling on her tongue.
But even so, she still thought about him.
She didn’t go back. Toby kissed her like she mattered. Like he wanted to stay inside her forever. It wasn’t just about getting off, it was about keeping her close.
And then came the night he broke.
It was late. The rest of the mansion slept.
Lenora was curled in Toby’s bed, wearing one of his shirts and nothing else. Her thighs still ached from earlier, but she was comfortable. Almost falling asleep.
She jolted awake when she noticed he was pacing. Twitching. His hands clenching and unclenching at his sides, like he wanted to say something and didn’t trust his own mouth.
She sat up. “...Toby?”
He stopped. Turned. His face was red. His fingers tangled in his hoodie strings.
“I-I gotta s-say s-s-something. I can’t-f-fuck-I can’t k-keep it in a-anymore.” He looked at her like he was about to implode.
He felt his heartbeat on his ears, much more than he usually did. The voices in his head were a mess, a crowd trying to tell him what to do and not to do. It came out like word vomit. There was no anticipation, no preparation. He just blurted it.
“I love you.”
Her heart stuttered.
“I-I love y-you so m-much, I don’t k-know how to f-f-function w-without thinking a-about you. I l-love you w-when you’re s-s-sitting n-next to me. I love y-you when y-you’re pissed. I love y-you when you’re f-fucking me like I’m the only guy who e-ever touched you. I feel it e-everywhere.” His voice cracked. “And I k-know I’m b-broken. I’m not c-cool or w-whatever the fuck BEN is. I t-twitch, I mess u-up, I c-can’t even say t-this right—but fuck, I mean it. I w-want you. All of y-you.”
He stepped forward, kneeled, and laid his head on her lap.
“I w-want to c-call you m-mine. Like… really mine. I k-know y-you've said no strings, a-and that you were c-confused b-but... I j-just need to try.... W-Will you be my girlfriend?”
Lenora’s throat was dry. Her mouth opened and nothing came out.
She loved being with him. She loved the sex. The way he held her. She adored how he looked at her like she was a miracle.
But did she love him?
She wasn’t sure.
But he was looking at her like she was about to make or break his world. She saw the tremble in his jaw, the way he braced himself like she was about to crush him.
“Yeah" she whispered. “Yes, Toby. I’ll be your girlfriend.”
His face lit up, eyes wide and shiny like he didn’t believe it. He surged forward, practically tackling her onto the bed, arms tight around her, kissing her cheeks, her neck, whispering thank you thank you thank you in between breathless whines.
She held him close.
And when he started stripping her shirt off again, hands everywhere, she didn’t stop him.
She let him love her like she was his.
Even if, deep down, part of her wasn’t sure she belonged to anyone.
Not yet.
~BEN’s POV~
The mansion was louder than usual that morning. Plates clanking, Jeff shouting, Nina screeching about something pointless, someone burning toast. I was on autopilot, making a beeline for the cereal cabinet with my hood up and my headset dangling uselessly around my neck. Hadn't even touched a controller in two days. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t game. I couldn’t stop thinking.
About her.
Lenora.
And him.
Toby.
I was just trying to pour some fucking cereal.
“You look like shit,” Jeff said, leaning back against the counter with a half-eaten apple in his hand. “Like, worse than usual.”
I didn’t look at him. Just kept pouring, staring down at the milk like maybe I could drown in it.
“Okay, brooding it is,” he muttered. “You wanna talk about it or just keep sulking like an anime reject?”
I ignored him. Spoon clinked too hard in the bowl.
Clockwork glanced up from the newspaper she was reading. “Let him sulk,” she said. “He’s dealing with feelings.”
She didn't seem rather nice with her tone.
“Again?” Jeff groaned. “I thought we were over this"
I gave him a glare sharp enough to cut glass. “Back the fuck off, Jeff.”
“Oops” Jeff chuckled, raising his hands. “There he is.”
He knew. They all fucking knew.
That I was spiraling. That something was unraveling inside me. And they knew why.
Because of her.
Lenora walked in like nothing was wrong. Like she hadn’t torn a hole in my goddamn chest these past couple of weeks.
I couldnt blame her.
Toby was right behind her, hovering like a fucking shadow. Hand already on her lower back. Guiding her in like he was escorting royalty.
She wore his hoodie. Swallowed in it. Her legs bare beneath it. She looked… I don’t know. Soft.
Untouchable.
She laughed at something he said. Not even a big laugh. Just a little smirk with that upward glance I used to get when I said something clever, something filthy under my breath. Now it belonged to him.
They sat down at the kitchen table, brushing elbows. Toby leaned close, muttering something too quiet to hear. She ducked her head, smiling. Smiling.
I felt the breath catch in my throat. I shouldn’t have looked. I knew better.
But I couldn’t fucking stop myself.
“Y-you’re m-my girl now, r-right?” Toby’s voice wasn’t even trying to hide. Just soft and shaky and way too fucking proud.
Lenora laughed under her breath and tucked her hair behind her ear. “You know I am...”
My spoon stopped halfway to my mouth.
No one else seemed to notice. Or maybe they did and pretended not to. Except Jeff. Of course.
He blinked, his grin faltering. “Wait… what?”
Clockwork looked up sharply, then shot me a glance.
Jane raised an eyebrow from where she was drying dishes. “...They’re together now?”
Toby gave the room a glance but barely seemed to register them. His eyes were on her. And she was too caught up in him to notice the way the whole room seemed to tilt.
Girlfriend.
She was his girlfriend.
The same Lenora who told me “no strings, BEN.” The one who told me she didn’t “do labels.” And I’d agreed. Because I thought that was what she needed. What she wanted.
What I wanted.
But apparently not.
Apparently Toby got what I never did.
My stomach dropped.
Jeff turned toward me, eyebrows knit. “....Interesting turn of events....”
I clenched my jaw. “Don’t.”
“I’m just saying,” he said, backing up a step, “maybe you should’ve said something before she went full fucking Disney romance with him.”
“Jeff.” Clockwork warned.
But I couldn’t hear them anymore.
Toby looked right at me.
That twitchy bastard’s eyes found mine, locked on, and he smirked. A crooked little smug thing that sent a flash of red down my vision.
Then he leaned into her and kissed her jaw.
Right in front of me.
I stood up so fast the stool scraped across the floor.
Jane paused in wiping a knife. Clockwork tensed. Jeff stepped back, hands still up, but his voice dropped low. “BEN, man…”
I didn’t wait. Didn’t say a word.
I turned and stormed out of the kitchen, my fists clenched so tight my nails dug half-moons into my palms.
I made it upstairs, shoved my door open, slammed it behind me.
The silence in my room hit like a gunshot.
I grabbed the nearest thing—my controller—and hurled it across the room. It hit the wall and cracked in two. My headset followed. The screen flickered on the monitor, my paused game from two nights ago still waiting.
I wanted to tear down what rested of my room.
Lenora used to come in here and sit in my lap while I played. She’d rest her chin on my shoulder and mock me for every bad shot.
Now she was probably downstairs curled into Toby’s side, giggling at his stupid jokes, letting him kiss her neck.
I sat down on the bed, head in my hands, lungs burning.
What the fuck did I do...?
I let her go. Pretended I didn’t care. Acted like I was too cool to give a shit. And now I’m sitting here like a fucking idiot while she gives someone else everything I didn’t even realize I wanted.
She’s his.
She’s... really his.
And I’m just the glitch that just got deleted.
alexisn2012 on Chapter 14 Sun 15 Jun 2025 03:50PM UTC
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pancakelover69 on Chapter 14 Wed 18 Jun 2025 07:17PM UTC
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alexisn2012 on Chapter 14 Thu 19 Jun 2025 06:36AM UTC
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pancakelover69 on Chapter 14 Thu 19 Jun 2025 11:36PM UTC
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Mitze on Chapter 14 Fri 04 Jul 2025 08:53AM UTC
Last Edited Fri 04 Jul 2025 08:54AM UTC
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pancakelover69 on Chapter 14 Wed 09 Jul 2025 09:59PM UTC
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Mitze on Chapter 16 Wed 27 Aug 2025 12:25PM UTC
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